PHIWP 

V^RRIIJ, 


BANCROFT 
LIBRARY 

<> 

THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 


The 
Full  Glory 

of 
Diantha 


FORNIA. 


FORBES  &  CO. 


An  unusual,  fascinating  novel  of  New  York  life  with  some 
scenes  in  a  typical  mining  camp  of  the  West.  There  is  an 
entrancing  love  story  and  strong  delineation  of  character. 


PHIIJP 


THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 


THE    FULL    GLORY 
OF   D'lANTHA 


BY 


MRS.  PHILIP  VERRILL  MIGHELS 


CHICAGO 
FORBES  &  COMPANY 

1909 


Copyright,  1909, 
BY  FORBES  AND  COMPANY 


* 


OFT 


Dedicated  to 
SIR  RENNELL  RODD 

Poet  and  Statesman 


YKMUUJ 


FOREWORD 

When  God  created  the  first  human  pair  in  the  pri- 
meval garden,  it  is  said  that  he  called  the  man  "  Hadama," 
which  is  to  say  "  Earth,"  and  the  woman,  "Hayva," 
which  is  to  say  "  Spirit."  His  divine  plan  was  to  mix 
the  two  elements  into  a  perfect  whole,  thus  evolving 
a  race  of  beings  which  should  unite  the  mineral,  the 
animal  and  the  heavenly  kingdoms  into  one. 

The  man  was  to  become  spiritualized  earth,  the  woman 
to  be  drawn  from  her  too  ethereal  condition  into  par- 
taking of  the  elements  of  earth  itself  —  thus  the  two 
should  serve  to  rebuild  and  re-create  the  other  until  at 
last  they  stood  on  a  common  plane  as  proper  and  equal 
companions  for  the  journey,  hand-in-hand,  thither. 

For  many  thousands  of  years  has  the  process  been  go- 
ing on,  and  still  the  battle  wages  between  these  two 
diverse  elements,  first  one  winning,  then  the  other.  In 
many  cases  she  finds  that  Earth  as  revealed  in  man, 
remains  obdurate.  And  to  his  ken  it  appears  that  Spirit 
as  expressed  in  woman,  is  fantastic.  Thus  it  has  come 
to  pass  that  for  her  own  protection,  that  she  may  find 
her  true-mate,  who  is  willing  to  be  lifted  up,  and  not 
drag  her  down  too  far  from  her  native  sphere,  that  the 
greatest  study  of  woman  has  become  the  important  one 
of  man  himself. 
.  Every  natural  woman  yearns  for  an  established  abid- 


FOREWORD 

ing-place  to  call  her  own,  over  which  she  can  reign  like 
the  queen  bee  of  a  little  kingdom.  Perhaps  that  is  her 
very  first  instinct  in  preparation  for  what  is  to  follow. 
Then  comes  the  yearning  of  her  hungry  maternal  heart 
to  cry  out  in  ecstasy  with  Hayva,  "  I  have  gotten  a  man- 
child  from  the  Lord,"  for  any  normal  woman  stands 
side  by  side  with  the  primeval  mother.  It  is  her  heritage, 
God-given. 

But  she  cannot  work  out  her  destiny  save  through 
law  and  order.  She  needs  man  in  all  the  glory  of  his 
acquired  angelhood,  with  the  earth  in  him  suppressed, 
to  hold  her  close,  to  protect  her,  to  give  her  the  joys  of 
companionship,  and  also  that  which  is  his  hardest  task, 
to  be  willing  for  her  to  keep  her  immortal  soul,  all  of 
which  will  make  of  this  world  a  heaven  so  sweet  and  so 
beautiful  that  earth  here  below  makes  dim  the  promised 
delights  of  the  beyond. 

It  sometimes  happens  that  true-mates  do  find  each 
other.  With  the  possibility  of  winning  such  a  guerdon 
as  this,  why  should  not  a  young  woman  enter  upon 
such  a  quest  with  all  her  heart  and  all  her  soul,  turning 
to  all  points  of  the  compass  to  watch  for  the  "  coming  of 
his  blessed  presence  ?  " 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.  THE  WISH  ON  THE  APPLE  BLOSSOMS  .     .     .     .    11 

II.    "  His  SATANIC  MAJESTY  "  PASSES 18 

III.  THE  COMPACT 23 

IV.  THE  STAGE-DRIVER  EXPLAINS 35 

V.  THE  BOOKKEEPER  FROM  NEW  YORK      ....    42 

VI.    His  FIRST  NAME  WAS  CASPAR 48 

VII.  THE  FLASH  OF  LOCKWOOD'S  DIAMONDS    ...    53 

VIII.  THE  PRICE  OF  A  GOVERNMENT  BOND  ....    58 

IX.  DIANTHA    ASCENDS    A    HIGH    MOUNTAIN    AND 

CROSSES  A  RIVER 62 

X.    EVERTON  is  IN  EARNEST 72 

XL    MOONLIGHT  BENEATH  THE  PINES 75 

XII.    ONE  DANCE  WITH  CASPAR 87 

XIII.  DEALING  WITH  A  MADMAN 92 

XIV.  DIANTHA'S  RIDDLE 101 

XV.    THE  RIGHTS  OF  A  BABE 108 

XVI.    DIANTHA  RIDES  BEHIND  CASPAR 113 

XVII.    CAMPING  IN  THE  GREENWOOD 119 

XVIII.      ON  THE  TOP  OF  THE  WORLD 123 

XIX.  EVERTON  is  SURPRISED  AT  HIMSELF    ....  129 

XX.    EVERTON  HURLS  A  ROCK 132 

XXI.  FIVE  MEN  WHO  ONCE  WERE  BABES  .     .     .     .141 

XXII.  THE  MISCHIEF  OF  SLEEPING  TOMMY  ....  147 

XXIII.  THE  GRAND  CARAVAN 150 

XXIV.  THE  INSINUATIONS  OF  LOCKWOOD 161 

XXV.  DIANTHA  DEMANDS  IMMEDIATE  JUSTICE  .     .     .174 

XXVI.  BARRY  LOCKWOOD'S  FINAL  WORD    .     .     .     .     .189 

XXVII.  DIANTHA    MEDITATES    FOR    THREE    THOUSAND 

MILES 194 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  PAGE 

XXVIII.    CASPAR  WALKS  UP  FIFTH  AVENUE  AND  DOWN 

BROADWAY 201 

CASPAR  GIVES  EVERYBODY  A  SURPRISE  ....  212 
CASPAR  DISCOVERS  THE  USE  OF  THE  COAL-BOX  .  219 
CASPAR  IN  WALL  STREET 224 


BLOOD  is  THICKER  THAN  WATER" 


234 


EVERYBODY'S  FRIEND" 242 


XXIX. 
XXX. 
XXXI. 

XXXII.  " 

XXXIII.  " 

XXXIV.  "  WOMEN  ARE  WHAT  MEN  MAKE  THEM  "  .     .  248 
XXXV.  JOHN  QUINCY  TRIES  TO  BECOME  ELEMENTAL  .     .  .258 

XXXVI.  DIANTHA  TAKES  CASPAR  TO  CONEY  ISLAND  ,     .  266 

XXXVII.  THEY  MEET  A  COMPANION  TO  DOLPHINS  .     .     .270 

XXXVIII.  THE  CODE  OF  HONOR  OF  RIGHT-THINKING  MEN  280 

XXXIX.  OVER  LONG  BRIDGE  AMID  FAIRY  LIGHTS  .     .     .295 

XL.  THE  PLEIADES  Discuss  LOVE  AND  LUNATICS  .     .  299 

XLI.  A  BATTLE  ROYAL 304 

XLII.  A  FLAMBOYANT  ROSE  OF  LOVE 314 

XLIII.  DIANTHA  MAKES  GENE  SUFFER 320 

XLIV.  DIANTHA  WAKES  FROM  A  DREAM 329 

XLV.  "  SON  WILL  WEAR  A  SASH  " 335 

XLVI.  JOHN  QUINCY  PROVES  HIMSELF 342 

XLVII.  STATEN  ISLAND  IN  THE  MOONLIGHT    ....  350 

XLVIII.  THE  MAGIC  OF  HUNGARIAN  GOULASH  ....  362 

XLIX.  DIANTHA  GOES  INTO  ECLIPSE 372 

L.  THE  COURAGE  OF  COLLEEN 374 

LI.  PAPRIKA  FOR  FOUR 376 

LII.  DIANTHA  HEARS  SOME  SURPRISING  THINGS  .     .  386 

LIII.  DIANTHA'S  GREAT  TEMPTATION 391 

LIV.  FIRST  IT   WAS    KING   GEORGE,    THEN    IT   WAS 

HENRY  GEORGE 398 

LV.  EVERTON  MERELY  LISTENS 410 

LVI.  THE  GREATEST  JOY  IN  THE  WORLD 416 

LVII.  CASPAR  NOT  ELEMENTAL,  ONLY  A  NATURAL  MAN  420 

LVIII.  DIANTHA  KISSES  THE  HAND  OF  HER  MASTER    .  428 

AFTERWORD 431 


THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

CHAPTER  I 

THE  WISH  ON   THE  APPLE  BLOSSOMS 

"^JOW  this  is  the  story  of  Diantha  of  Canada,  and 
-*-^  it  began  on  that  morning  when  she  brought  her 
apple  blossoms  from  home  and  placed  them  in  the  little 
blue  jug  on  her  desk  in  the  office  of  the  Lockwood  Lum- 
ber Company  where  straightway  they  precipitated  all 
the  unusual  happenings  of  that  day. 

The  firm  for  whom  she  was  bookkeeper  consisted  of 
two  partners.  One,  the  senior,  was  Horace  J.  Lockwood, 
a  fierce  Yankee  of  trade  and  finance,  and  he  was  bent 
and  old  and  weather-beaten.  The  other  was  Stanley 
Everton,  who  acted  as  a  sort  of  Providence  between  his 
partner  and  the  clerks  in  the  establishments,  both  east 
and  west.  The  offices  were  located  on  Broadway,  New. 
York  City,  and  the  chief  lumber-camp  was  situated  on 
Indian  River  in  the  Sierra  Nevada  Mountains  in  the 
northern  part  of  California,  at  a  place  called  Boulder 
Camp. 

While  Lockwood  was  crabbed  and  querulous  with  age 
and  selfishness,  his  constant  thinking  of  money  having 
hardened  the  arteries  of  his  heart,  Everton,  the  junior 
partner,  with  a  touch  of  frost  on  his  temples,  had  not  yet 

11 


12  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

reached  his  thirty-seventh  year  and  was  wiry  and  active 
in  all  his  movements.  He  was  possessed  of  an  infinite 
good-humor  and  kindliness  of  heart  that  endeared  him 
to  all  the  men  in  the  office,  and  the  touch  of  old-fash- 
ioned courtesy  he  gave  to  the  bookkeeper,  had  set  an  ex- 
ample to  be  followed  by  the  rest  of  the  men  in  the  office. 

This  was  the  environment  in  which  Diantha  March 
found  herself  on  that  bright  morning  in  May,  gazing 
on  the  apple  blossoms  before  her  and  thinking  of  the 
wish  she  had  made  upon  them  the  night  previous. 

Diantha  was  tall  and  fair,  crowned  with  an  aureole  of 
copper-gold  hair  and  though  her  eyes  were  gray  only, 
at  times  the  emotions  that  surged  through  her  caused  an 
expansion  of  the  pupils  that  filled  the  iris  and  made  them 
appear  to  be  strangely  black.  She  was  pulsing  full  of 
life  and  energy,  a  true  daughter  of  the  North,  where  the 
vigors  of  the  climate  only  bring  out  the  more  power  and 
personality  in  the  stresses  of  combating  nature.  Diantha 
March  was  not  the  kind  of  young  woman  whose  plan  of 
life  was  to  be  satisfied  with  a  long  or  even  successful 
period  of  employment  or  the  independence  of  the  modern 
young  woman  in  New  York  City. 

Upon  the  blossoms  before  her  she  had  made  known 
her  secret  desires  to  the  mysterious  fates  in  the  hope 
that  they  should  hear  her  and  grant  her  some  kind  of 
answer.  "  North,  south,  east  or  west,"  was  the  way 
she  phrased  it,  "  I  wish  to  find  the  man  of  my  heart  and 
to  become  his  wife  and  the  mother  of  his  children." 

It  was  a  frank  confession.  But  Diantha  March  was 
a  natural  woman  like  her  foremothers  before  her,  and 
held  to  primordial  ways  in  spite  of  the  overwhelming 


THE  WISH  ON  THE  APPLE  BLOSSOMS  13 

odds  in  favor  of  modern  civilization.  Her  thoughts 
were  demanding  the  coming  of  that  man  of  her  heart. 
What  was  the  value  of  her  business  success,  her  money 
in  bank,  her  youth  and  all  else  if  he  never  came?  North, 
south,  east,  she  had  not  yet  beheld  him. 

"  If  there  be  such  a  man  as  I  dream  of,  like  the 
glorious  knights  of  old,  true,  clean-hearted  and  brave, 
and  I  do  not  find  him  here,  I  shall  know  that  he  is  in 
the  great  West;  for  the  people  there  are  still  elemental 
enough  to  care  more  for  love  and  chivalry  than  for 
anything  else  in  the  world,"  she  was  saying  to  herself. 
"  And  there  he  will  be,  tall  and  strong  and  blue-eyed  — 
I  could  not  imagine  myself  loving  any  but  a  blue-eyed 
man  — " 

She  was  interrupted  by  someone.  "  Look  at  the  ap- 
ple blossoms ! " 

It  was  Burns,  the  traveling  man  for  the  firm,  who 
stood  there  and  smiled  at  the  flowers  of  spring  and 
wanted  to  know  where  they  had  come  from.  And  she 
told  him  frankly  how  they  had  been  passed  around  the 
night  before  at  the  house  of  a  friend  of  hers  for  the 
whole  party  of  girls  to  wish  on  for  whatever  they  desired 
in  the  harvest  time. 

"  And  what  did  you  wish  for  ?  "  he  demanded. 

"  Oh,  just  for  a  trip  to  the  West,"  she  said,  demurely. 

"  By  the  way,  the  Company  needs  a  new  bookkeeper 
out  at  Boulder  Camp,"  he  said  meaningly,  "  and  we've 
got  to  find  one  to-day.  I  don't  suppose  you'd  want  to 
go  out  there  and  grow  up  with  the  country  ?  " 

She  was  startled  in  spite  of  herself.  "  Not  to-day, 
I'm  quite  sure,"  she  responded  smiling,  and  yet  much 


14  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

disturbed  within,  so  that  her  eyes  took  on  that  darkling 
look  that  made  such  a  contrast  to  her  fairness  of  hair 
and  complexion. 

She  hardly  knew  when  Burns  ceased  talking  and  re- 
turned to  his  desk. 

"  If  I  can't  find  him  anywhere  else  I  might  go  — " 
she  was  saying  to  herself,  and  still  she  was  thinking  of 
that  splendid  creature  of  her  imagination. 

Some  way,  in  spite  of  her  efforts  to  clothe  him  in  the 
garb  of  a  hero,  he  persisted  in  taking  on  a  very  modern 
appearance,  as  if  he  walked  Broadway  and  even  came 
into  the  very  office  where  she  sat  at  her  desk  poring 
over  those  books  of  hers.  Perhaps  he  was  not  west 
at  all.  But  then  where  was  he?  Why  did  he  not  ap- 
pear upon  the  scene  in  response  to  that  longing  of  her 
soul?  How  long  would  she  have  to  wait  to  decide 
whether  to  go  west  or  not?  What  if  she  should  apply 
for  the  position  and  go  out  to  Boulder  Camp,  even  as 
an  adventure? 

A  shadow  fell  in  at  the  door  and  she  heard  a  step 
she  knew.  In  spite  of  herself  a  faint  flush  overspread 
her  fair  face  to  the  roots  of  her  copper-gold  hair.  Yet 
she  kept  her  eyes  on  her  column  of  figures.  She  knew 
who  it  was  without  looking  up  —  that  Stanley  Everton 
was  the  man  who  had  entered  there. 

"  Good  morning,  Miss  March,"  he  said  in  his  usual 
cheerful  tone,  then  he  hesitated  and  gazed  at  the  branch 
of  apple  blossoms  in  the  little  blue  jug  so  long  she  had 
to  take  notice,  and  then  his  eyes  met  hers  in  a  strange 
way  that  caused  her  to  wonder.  What  was  it  she  saw 
in  his  glance?  Certainly  it  was  an  expression  she  had 


THE  WISH  ON  THE  APPLE  BLOSSOMS  15 

never  felt  there  before  — "  felt "  was  the  word,  for  it 
shot  through  her  like  a  ray  of  lightning.  He  seemed 
about  to  speak,  then  resisted  the  impulse  and  passed  on. 

Diantha  had  a  strong  intuitive  instinct  that  made  her 
sensitive  to  the  thoughts  of  others.  Some  way  she  was 
disturbed.  Not  till  afterwards,  however,  did  she  re- 
member this  moment;  for  it  was  broken  in  upon  by  the 
entrance  of  a  stranger  who  was  so  different  in  manner 
and  appearance  from  Mr.  Everton  that  it  struck  her 
unpleasantly.  He  was  portly  and  bold-eyed  and  hand- 
some, with  a  conscious  air  of  self-splendor  that  radiated 
from  him  as  if  he  owned  the  earth  and  barely  con- 
sented to  allow  others  to  step  upon  it. 

He  made  it  suit  his  purpose  to  stop  at  her  desk,  lift 
his  heavy  eyebrows  at  the  sight  of  the  soft  blossoms 
standing  there,  and  then  he  smiled  in  a  confidential  sort 
of  way  and  said,  "  Beg  pardon,  but  can  you  tell  me  if 
Everton  is  in?" 

She  simply  waved  her  hand  in  the  direction  of  the 
inner  office,  and  returned  to  her  books.  She  loathed  a 
man  of  that  stamp  even  if  he  did  have  iron-gray  hair 
with  his  dark-brown  moustache. 

Presently  there  crept  in  almost  silently,  the  great  man 
of  the  office,  old  Horace  J.  Lockwood,  with  his  peering 
eyes  and  bent  shoulders  and  yellow  leathery  skin,  watch- 
fully observing  if  all  his  slaves  were  at  work.  She 
thought  to  herself — "What  would  they  all  have  done 
here  without  the  leavening  influence  of  Mr.  Everton, 
who  was  so  human  that  he  stood  between  the  poor  clerks 
and  the  niggardliness  of  old  Horace,  who  would  have 
ground  them  to  powder  otherwise.  How  could  they  help 


16       THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

—  all  of  them  —  from  being  grateful  to  him  for  his 
many  kindnesses  and  his  intervention  on  their  behalf, 
when  that  old  inquisitor  of  a  later  day  took  a  notion  to 
give  the  screws  another  twist  with  threat  of  shorter 
pay  and  longer  hours,  until  they  feared  his  very  pres- 
ence." 

He  glanced  at  her  desk  as  he  passed  and  the  sight  of 
so  much  beauty  in  the  dull  old  office  fell  athwart  a  cross 
and  crooked  nature  and  brought  forth  a  frown.  He 
went  into  the  inner  office  where  sat  his  partner,  Stanley 
Everton,  and  the  just-arrived  visitor. 

"  Who  the  devil  is  that  fine-looking  young  woman 
out  there,  presiding  over  the  books  and  the  apple  blos- 
soms ?  "  came  a  voice  as  the  window  of  the  office  was 
being  opened  for  more  air,  and  then  the  rest  of  the 
speech  was  lost 

Then  the  old  man's  familiar  utterance  floated  out 
where  Diantha  could  not  escape  hearing  it.  A  spirit  of 
malice  must  have  taken  possession  of  him.  He  spoke 
in  a  high-pitched  querulous  tone. 

"  Wall,"  he  drawled,  "  I  see  the  spring  has  come  here 
in  the  office,  apple  blossoms,  to  turn  all  the  young  men's 
thoughts  of  love  and  all  such  nonsense  and  tomfoolery !  " 
He  hesitated  and  then  added  to  his  partner  mockingly, 
"  Why  don't  ye  git  married,  Stanley  ?  'Bout  time  ain't 
it?" 

Diantha  could  not  help  hearing  Everton's  reply,  for  it 
was  given  with  a  forced  laugh.  "  Maybe  I  might,"  he 
said,  "  if  only  I  could  find  a  broken-down  widow  with- 
out —  any  —  illusions,  hey,  Quincy !  " 


THE  WISH  ON  THE  APPLE  BLOSSOMS  17 

And  the  three  men  laughed  together. 

All  the  light  in  the  world  went  out  at  that  moment  to 
the  girl  sitting  there  gazing  on  those  flowers  of  spring  in 
the  little  blue  jug. 


CHAPTER  II 

"  HIS  SATANIC   MAJESTY  "   PASSES 

TAIANTHA  MARCH  had  wished  on  the  apple  blos- 
*~*  soms  the  dearest  desire  of  her  heart,  and  she 
knew  now,  because  of  the  pang  these  words  caused 
her,  that  there  had  been  a  tender  spot  in  her  affections 
for  Stanley  Everton,  in  spite  of  all  the  denials  she  had 
given  herself  and  that  she  had  been  self-deceived  — 
that  she  had  been  thinking  of  him  when  she  had  wished 
to  find  the  man  of  her  heart.  She  was  ashamed  and  she 
was  angry  to  see  that  tears  had  fallen  upon  the  page  of 
her  ledger,  and  she  brushed  them  away  rudely  and 
roughly. 

The  stranger  passed  by  on  his  way  out,  glancing  boldly 
at  her,  but  she  ignored  him  absolutely. 

Presently  Burns  came  and  stood  by  her  desk  and  his 
manner  was  mysterious.  "  Do  you  know  who  that  is  ?  " 
he  whispered.  "  He  saw  you  all  right  —  he  has  an  enor- 
mous optic  for  a  fine-looking  girl  —  and  he  wanted  to 
know  who  that  splendid  creature  was,  that  was  presiding 
over  the  books  and  the  apple  blossoms." 

But  at  that  moment,  Diantha  was  angered  to  the  very 
limit  of  her  endurance.  She  could  understand  why 
women  were  glad  to  go  into  convents  to  get  away  from 
the  sight  of  all  the  men  on  the  earth. 

18 


"HIS  SATANIC  MAJESTY"  PASSES  19 

She  frowned  at  Burns  and  waved  for  him  to  go  on 
to  his  desk. 

"  Colonel  Quincy  knows  a  pretty  girl,"  he  exclaimed, 
delightedly.  "  He  has  pictures  of  every  beautiful  actress 
that  has  come  to  town  for  the  last  thirty  years  —  and 
also  their  autographs  —  makes  a  fad  of  it  —  wonderful 
collection ! " 

A  perfect  blaze  of  rage  swept  over  the  girl.  This 
name  was  enough  to  give  her  cause  for  resentment.  It 
was  that  of  a  well-known  clubman,  known  as  "  His  Sa- 
tanic Majesty,"  for  the  number  of  foolish  girls  he  had 
made  fads  of  for  a  brief  season,  only  to  forget  them  later 
in  the  light  of  a  new  face.  One  of  these  had  been  an 
impulsive  young  woman  of  her  own  acquaintance,  who 
had  now  become,  in  her  despair,  a  reckless  member  of 
lower  Bohemia,  and  was  known  to  herself  and  her  group, 
as  the  poor  "  Lost  Pleiad." 

She  waved  Burns  away  this  time  with  a  gesture  of 
horror. 

Burns  gave  a  low  whistle  of  astonishment,  then  he 
smothered  a  bubble  of  laughter,  and  went  back  to  his 
place  again. 

Diantha's  eyes  filled  with  tears.  Her  heart  ached 
dully.  She  was  hurt  through  and  through  at  the  thought 
that  her  Mr.  Everton  was  not  at  all  as  she  had  imagined 
him  to  be.  She  had  thought  him  so  high  and  splendid 
—  a  man  among  men  above  reproach.  But  the  revela- 
tion that  morning  required  that  she  should  tear  her  re- 
spect and  admiration  for  him  from  her  heart  forever. 

Full  of  grief  she  sat  in  judgment  upon  herself  for  her 


20  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

own  lack  of  understanding.  "  To  think  he  should  be  a 
man  like  that !  "  and  she  wrought  with  herself  to  know 
why  she  should  have  been  so  blind  and  deaf  and  dumb. 

Her  old-time  stubbornness  came  to  her  aid  as  she 
implored  all  the  gods  and  deities  of  ancient  and  of  mod- 
ern times  to  enable  her  to  crush  from  her  heart  any 
lingering  feeling  that  might  be  there  for  one  now  proved 
to*  be  unworthy,  and  at  the  same  time  to  send  to  her 
the  realization  of  the  image  and  ideal  she  bore  so 
sacredly  in  her  soul. 

She  could  see  him  standing  there,  white  and  clean  and 
altogether  lovely,  with  an  expectant  look  upon  his  manly 
face  as  if  he  were  almost  listening  for  the  sound  of  a 
footstep  —  which  should  be  her  own. 

Why  had  he  not  sought  for  her  more  determinedly! 
That  lumber-camp  out  in  the  wilds  of  the  Sierras !  Was 
he  there  busy  at  his  work  and  she  here  in  cold,  cruel 
New  York  with  three  thousand  miles  of  continent  be- 
tween them?  Was  it  a  premonition,  a  prophetic  sense 
that  made  her  think  of  these  things?  Was  he  waiting 
there  for  her  —  waiting  for  her  to  come  to  him  —  as  her 
dear  father  had  waited  in  Canada  for  her  mother  to 
cross  the  great  ocean  from  Scotland  ere  they  two  could 
meet  ?  She  caught  a  new  hope  from  the  thought.  What 
was  to  hinder  her  from  going? 

She  lifted  her  head  proudly  to  see  that  Mr.  Everton 
had  returned  and  was  standing  by  her  desk.  If  a  touch 
of  frost  was  in  her  manner,  what  wonder  ? 

It  was  only  to  tell  her  that  she  could  have  the  bond 
she  had  wanted  to  buy,  and  she  realized  that  he  had 
always  been  nice  to  her  in  business  matters  and  that  it 


"HIS  SATANIC  MAJESTY"  PASSES  21 

was  only  justice  to  remember  this  fact.  Indeed  that  there 
was  no  call  for  any  other  than  a  business  friendship  be- 
tween them. 

But  he  still  lingered. 

"  How  beautiful  those  apple  blossoms  are ! "  he  said. 
"  Do  you  know,  they  make  me  think  of  the  time  when  I 
was  young — " 

She  met  his  gaze  with  a  look  as  if  she  said,  "  What? 
You ! " 

But  he  went  on  like  one  thinking  aloud,  "  and  stood  in 
the  orchard  in  the  springtime  —  with  —  my — "  he  hesi- 
tated and  then  he  dared  to  say  it  "  my  —  first  love." 

Diantha  was  not  as  she  had  been  when  first  she  had 
come  to  the  city.  Then  she  would  have  blushed  crim- 
son and  have  been  so  embarrassed  that  she  could  not 
have  lifted  her  eyes  at  such  a  speech  as  this  from  a  man 
she  had  so  admired.  Not  so  now.  She  simply  drew  up 
at  these  foolish  words  and  looked  him  in  the  eyes  with 
all  the  disapproval  at  her  command. 

"  Let  us  stick  to  business,  Mr.  Everton,"  she  said  de- 
liberately. 

If  these  were  the  arts  at  his  command,  he  should  find 
no  soft-hearted,  impulsive,  easily-flattered  girl  to  play 
them  upon;  for  resolute  Diantha  March  was  impervious 
to  such  arts. 

He  looked  at  her  in  a  puzzled  way  that  was  almost 
disconcerting.  But  she  never  relaxed.  He  should  not 
talk  to  her  of  his  "  first  love  " —  first  love  indeed !  And 
how  many  loves  after  that  she  wondered  could  he  count 
up?  It  might  be  as  large  a  gallery  as  Col.  Quincy's. 
And  at  that  thought  she  became  as  cold  as  ice.  Resent- 


22  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

fully  she  considered  to  herself,  "  Did  Mr.  Everton  flatter 
himself  that  she  was  like  that  broken-down  widow  who 
had  lost  her  illusions  and  was  willing  to  be  taken  up 
and  threaded  as  the  thirtieth  or  the  fortieth  bead  on  the 
string  of  his  affections?  Not  she  then  —  she  was  to  be 
the  first  love  who  should  stand  under  the  apple  tree  in 
the  orchard  in  the  springtime,  herself.  And  her  Parsifal 
was  there  waiting  for  her  now. 

"  Have  I  done  anything,  Miss  March,  to  make  you 
angry?  "  he  asked  more  puzzled  than  before. 

"  Not  at  all,  only  anything  else  than  business  seems  out 
of  place  in  the  office." 

"  You  must  lay  the  blame  on  the  apple  blossoms  then," 
he  said  smiling,  and  returned  to  the  inner  office. 


CHAPTER  III 

THE  COMPACT 

TT 7HEN  the  noon-hour  approached  Stanley  Everton 
*  *  returned  and  gave  Miss  March  instructions  that 
kept  her  in  her  place  until  all  the  clerks  and  even  his  part- 
ner had  gone  out  to  lunch.  When  the  last  man  had  issued 
forth  he  dropped  his  business  tone  and  changed  the  sub- 
ject abruptly.  "  Miss  March,  I  have  something  to  say  to 
you,"  he  spoke  eagerly.  "  You  can  have  twenty- four 
hours  to  think  it  over  in  before  giving  me  an  answer. 
I  am  a  business  man,  you  are  a  business  woman.  Some- 
thing has  happened  to  me  this  morning  —  I  am  thinking 
about  a  partnership  for  life  —  and  I  ask  you  to  consider 
the  proposition.  I  admire  you  more  than  any  woman 
I  know  and  I  ask  you  to  be  my  wife." 

Diantha  sat  as  one  frozen,  gazing  at  him  with  slowly 
gathering,  suppressed  anger.  "  The  first  time  I  saw  you," 
continued  he  protestingly,  "  I  said  then  that  if  I  were  a 
marrying  man  you  were  the  kind  of  a  girl  I  would 
choose  —  so  splendidly  competent  and  equal  to  any  posi- 
tion in  life." 

Diantha  held  back  the  angry  words  and  angry  tears  and 
tried  to  deserve  this  compliment  by*  being  equal  to  this 
present  moment.  She  became  preternaturally  careful  of 
every  word  she  chose.  And  she  tried  to  appear  at  her 
ease. 

23 


24       THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

"  When  first  I  came  to  New  York,"  she  said  lightly, 
"  I  might  have  believed  you  in  earnest,  but  I  am  not  so 
unsophisticated  now." 

"  What  ?  you  are  not  going  to  say  '  No '  ? "  he 
exclaimed  with  a  kind  of  incredulity. 

"  That's  exactly  what  I  am  saying,"  she  responded,  with 
a  hint  of  hoarseness  in  her  voice  and  a  flash  in  her  eyes. 

"  Well,  of  all  the  things !  "  he  continued  with  a  quizzical 
smile.  "You  wouldn't  treat  me  like  that?" 

"  Oh,  yes,"  she  said,  smiling  scornfully  at  him,  "  I  am 
not  to  be  had  for  the  asking  alone." 

He  seemed  taken  by  surprise  and  turned  over  idly  the 
yellow  telegram  he  held  in  his  hand.  His  voice  was  less 
confident  than  before  as  he  spoke  in  return.  "  I  admired 
you  the  first  day  I  saw  you  —  Miss  March  — " 

"  And  that  was  five  years  ago,"  remarked  Diantha 
calmly. 

"  Now,  what  is  the  matter  ?  "  he  asked  smilingly.  "  Ad- 
mit that  I  have  known  you  for  five  years  and  have  not 
asked  you  till  to-day!  What  seems  to  be  the  obstacle? 
Is  there  some  other  man  ahead  of  me  ? " 

"  No,"  she  replied  impatiently,  "  I  have  never  yet  seen 
the  man  I  would  be  willing  to  marry." 

"  Oh,"  and  he  lifted  his  eyebrows  with  a  serio-comic 
look,  "and  are  you  still  so  young  as  to  be  romantic ?  " 

She  noted  the  gold  glinting  in  his  mouth,  the  touch  of 
silver  frosting  his  almost  black  hair,  the  strong  chin,  the 
wide  forehead,  the  splendidly  cut  features  and  the  kindly 
glance  in  his  blue  eyes  as  if  he  were  humoring  a  self- 
willed  child,  and  that  last  made  her  rebel. 

"Yes,  1  shall  never  grow  old  enough  to  be  beyond 


THE  COMPACT  25 

that,"  she  replied  unashamed,  her  gray  eyes  meeting  his 
unflinchingly.  "  That  is  just  it !  You  believe  in  noth- 
ing, while  I  —  I  am  no  broken-down  widow  who  —  has 
lost  her  illusions!  I  am  not  the  woman  for  you  to  be 
asking  —  it's  some  one  else." 

"  Oh ! "  he  exclaimed,  as  if  he  had  been  struck  to  the 
heart.  "  Oh,  what  a  brute  you  must  think  me !  I  beg 
your  pardon,  Miss  March.  I'm  sorry  you  overheard  that 
idle  speech  —  it  meant  nothing  —  it  was  just  foolishness 
—  I  didn't  mean  that  —  not  in  the  least  —  " 

But  the  girl  arose  from  her  desk  and  closed  her  books 
with  an  air  of  finality.  He  noted  her  strength  and  sup- 
pleness combined,  her  almost  superb  poise  of  head,  and 
calculated  the  difference  it  would  make  to  see  her 
gowned  in  diaphanous  lace  instead  of  the  neat  shirt- 
waist and  rainy-day  skirt.  She  would  carry  any  cos- 
tume well,  he  thought.  He  would  have  to  begin  all  over 
again.  No  wonder  she  was  angry,  but  if  he  persisted 
long  enough  he  could  win  her,  was  in  his  thoughts  as  he 
gazed  at  her. 

He  was  good  and  fine  and  splendid,  as  men  go,  but 
there  was  a  touch  of  the  rogue  in  him,  as  there  is  in  all 
men. 

He  wanted  to  marry  her  now  a  thousandfold  more 
than  he  had  an  hour  before.  To  be  denied  made  him 
value  her  as  beyond  the  price  of  rubies. 

She  realized  what  he  was  offering  her.  But  the  wealth 
and  luxury  and  power  which  he  could  give  was  as  dross 
in  her  sight. 

"  I  am  sorry  you  are  so  angry  with  me,"  he  said  gently. 
"  Take  till  to-morrow  to  think  it  over." 


26  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

"Yes,  that  is  just  it!"  she  cried,  full  of  resentment. 
"  How  can  I  help  being  angry  ?  Why,  we  girls  of 
Pleiades  Court  think  marriage  the  most  serious  thing  in 
the  world.  When  one  of  our  group  was  asked  to  marry 
a  man  last  year,  she  took  three  months  to  think  it  over 
before  she  said  'Yes.'  It  wasn't  the  bijou  gold  and 
white  flat  he  offered  her,  and  the  brasses  and  crystal 
and  fancy  fixings  that  she  was  thinking  of ;  it  was  '  The 
Man/  and  if  she  had  not  thought  Howard  Rose  worthy, 
why,  Vivian  would  not  have  married  him !  " 

"  Ah,  yes,"  said  Everton,  "  I  met  them  last  night  in 
the  Elevated  —  a  very  happy  pair.  And  they  spoke  of 
you  and  your  Pleiades  girls,  and  she  was  carrying  apple 
blossoms  for  you  all  to  wish  on,  she  told  me.  She  is  a 
sweet  little  lady  —  I  envied  him.  Take  three  months,  if 
you  like,  but  say  '  Yes ! '  " 

She  was  piling  her  books  up.  "  I  have  been  in  the  city 
long  enough  to  understand,"  she  said,  with  downcast 
eyes.  "  You  have  exhausted  every  other  kind  of  pastime, 
like  racing  and  betting  and  gambling  and  yachting  —  and 
you  wish  to  marry  for  an  experiment  —  and  this  is  your 
day  for  asking  some  girl  —  if  not  me,  then  another !  " 
and  she  shrugged  her  shoulders  disdainfully.  "  You 
think  you  will  be  satisfied  with  me  because  I  am  healthy 
and  young,  and  that  I  will  be  grateful  for  the  remnants 
of  your  life.  And  so  I  might  if  I  were  like  other  girls  — 
if  I  did  not  cherish  '  illusions.' " 

At  last  he,  too,  was  growing  angry,  as  he  listened  to 
this  most  uncomplimentary  view  of  his  proposal,  but  he 
covered  it  up  under  a  pretense  of  amusement.  "  Oh,  I 


THE  COMPACT  27 

see!  What  you  want  is  love  in  a  cottage,  with  only  a 
crust  of  bread  —  " 

"  No,  not  merely  love  in  a  cottage,"  she  cried,  with 
her  eyes  darkening  into  almost  black.  "  What  I  demand 
first  is  love  —  and  I  will  take  it  if  even  it  be  in  a  hut 
on  the  hillside  under  the  blue  sky  and  close  to  the  red 
earth,  for  I  am  an  elemental  woman  and  I  wish  to  mate 
with  an  elemental  man.*' 

He  seemed  bewildered,  at  first,  then  he  resumed  his 
perfunctory  style  of  speech  to  cover  up  the  emotions 
beginning  to  surge  through  him.  "  Well,  what's  the  mat- 
ter with  me  ?  "  he  said,  half  reproachfully,  yet  with  a 
smile  in  his  eyes. 

"  O  Mr.  Everton,  why  don't  you  be  true  to  your- 
self?" she  entreated.  "You  are  no  longer  a  natural 
man,  for  you  have  grown  hardened.  You  are  steeped 
in  city  life  and  its  luxuries  like  a  pickle  in  its  brine  or 
a  sardine  in  its  oil  —  well  preserved,  perhaps,  but  no 
longer  alive  to  real  things  and  true  things." 

"  Nonsense ! "  he  ejaculated,  but  he  was  annoyed, 
nevertheless.  "  You  are  absurd !  Why,  I'll  bet  anything 
the  ideal  you  are  dreaming  of  is  some  impossible  kind  of 
a  creature  that  never  existed  —  not  a  real  man." 

"  No,  I  am  not,"  said  Diantha,  in  a  low,  sweet  voice. 
"  I  am  thinking  of  my  father  up  in  Canada,  keeping  him- 
self clean  and  pure-hearted,  waiting,  waiting,  all  those 
years  until  my  mother  crossed  the  sea  and  came  all  the 
way  from  Scotland  to  find  him  there,  —  waiting  for  her. 
And  I  am  thinking  of  the  day  when  I  felt  the  call  upon 
me  and  knew  I  must  go  forth  to  the  east  and  south  and 


28  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

west  to  do  as  she  had  done,  in  obedience  to  fate;  and 
how  my  father  pressed  me  to  tell  him  why  I  must  go  so 
far  away  from  them  all.  I  was  the  youngest  of  twelve, 
and  his  favorite  child." 

The  picture  she  drew  held  him  fascinated.  "  Go  on," 
he  said,  as  she  paused  suddenly.  "  Tell  me  what  you 
said." 

She  obeyed  him  as  simply  as  a  child  would  have  done. 
"  I  adored  my  father,  Mr.  Everton.  I  wanted  his  ap- 
proval," Diantha  replied.  "  Kneeling  down  before  him, 
I  took  his  hand  and  kissed  it  gently  and  confessed  to 
him  the  truth.  *  Father,  I  want  to  find  the  man  of  my 
heart/  And  he  said,  '  You  can  go,  Diantha,'  for  he 
knew  that  that  was  the  way  mother  had  come  to  him." 

Stanley  Everton  stood  looking  at  her  intently.  He 
tried  to  speak  in  his  accustomed  speech,  but  the  words 
died  away  and  left  him  deeply  affected.  Could  it  be 
possible  that  a  girl  could  love  her  father  like  that? 
What  would  he  do  if  a  little  daughter  of  his  should  kiss 
his  hand?  Somehow  his  heart  gave  a  great  throb  as  he 
realized  how  much  he  must  have  missed  all  these  years 
of  his  life  in  not  having  any  of  the  sweetness  of  do- 
mestic ties  to  bind  him  fast. 

He  had  thought  his  freedom  a  great  thing.  Now  he 
knew  it  was  only  a  mockery.  Yet  a  great  sense  of  con- 
cern was  creeping  in  upon  him  about  something  else  than 
business.  It  was  about  himself  as  the  father  of  a  little 
daughter.  •  He  tried  to  conceal  his  thoughts,  however, 
and  said  vaguely,  "  Oh,  it  is  hardly  possible  that  women 
can  love  men  as  much  as  all  that ;  not  even  their  fathers, 
then  much  less  their  husbands." 


THE  COMPACT  29 

There  was  a  look  of  wonder  on  Diantha's  face.  She 
could  not  comprehend  what  it  was  that  had  struck  him 
so  forcibly.  But  she  answered  him  from  her  heart  and 
gave  him  another  sensation.  "  Oh,  yes,  we  women  do, 
Mr.  Everton!  All  we  ask  is  for  the  men- folks  to  let 
us  love  them  —  for  them  to  be  kind  and  affectionate  in- 
stead of  being  so  hard-hearted  and  selfish  and  mean." 

"You  don't  think  I  am  hard-hearted?"  he  protested, 
"  not  really." 

"You  were  kind-hearted  enough  when  you  started 
out,"  she  replied,  "  but  you  are  hardened  now,  or  you 
could  never  have  made  that  idle  speech  of  yours." 

The  slip  of  yellow  paper  fluttered  from  under  his  hand 
and  fell  to  the  floor  at  her  feet.  As  Diantha  picked  it 
up  to  return  to  him,  it  opened  so  that  she  could  not  fail 
to  see  the  words  written  there. 

Lockwood  Lumber  Company, 
Send  first-class  bookkeeper  to-day  —  can't  wait. 

MARTIN  HARRIS,  Manager f 
Boulder  Camp,  California. 

A  bright  flush  of  color  overspread  her  face  and  her 
eyes  grew  luminous.  "  O  Mr.  Everton,  let  me  have 
the  place !  "  she  exclaimed. 

"  What ! "  he  cried  in  a  high  pitched  accent  of  in- 
credulity. "Would  you  leave  New  York?  Why,  you 
must  be  crazy !  " 

"  Oh,  no,  I  am  not,"  she  replied,  "  it  is  natural  to  want 
to  escape  from  the  city  and  go  back  to  one's  primeval 
feelings,  once  in  a  while  at  least.  Confess,  Mr.  Ever- 
ton, don't  you  yourself  sometimes  feel  a  longing  stealing 


30  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

over  you  to  find  yourself  in  some  open  place  where  you 
can  give  a  great  cry  out  to  relieve  your  pent-up  soul  and 
there  will  be  nobody  to  hear?  Some  place  on  a  lofty 
peak  at  the  top  of  the  world,  where  you  can  gaze  across 
a  great  space  and  see  no  one?  Where  you  can  have  the 
luxury  of  being  alone  ?  " 

She  leaned  over  toward  him  as  if  she  would  have  the 
truth  for  once  from  him. 

"  Never ! "  he  exclaimed,  startled  in  spite  of  himself. 
"  Never !  I  would  rather  be  a  lamp-post  in  New  York 
City  than  to  be  a  man  who  has  to  live  in  the  wilds.  I 
love  all  this  bustle  and  noise  and  action.  It  is  life  to 
live  here;  it  would  be  death  to  be  alone  on  a  mountain- 
top." 

"  Ah,  Mr.  Everton,  you  didn't  feel  like  that  when  you 
were  young,"  Diantha  protested,  "  not  in  those  days 
when  you  stood  under  the  apple  trees  in  the  orchard 
with  —  your  first  love.  I  am  sorry  for  you.  But  this 
telegram !  If  you  would  only  speak  the  word !  " 

"  What ! "  he  interrupted,  "  and  let  you  go  out  of  my 
life?" 

"  I  must  go  away  somewhere  soon,"  she  said.  "  I  have 
always  wanted  to  go  West  —  and  now  more  than  ever !  " 

"  To  meet  that  elemental  man  of  yours,  I  suppose," 
he  spoke  mockingly. 

"  And  why  not?  "  Diantha  returned  quickly.  "  If  the 
man  of  my  heart  cannot  come  here  to  find  me  why 
should  I  not  go  to  find  him  ?  "  She  hesitated  a  second 
and  then  added,  as  if  to  herself,  "  I  shall  never  find  him 
here." 

"  No,  my  dear  Miss  March,  not  here  nor  anywhere 


THE  COMPACT  31 

else,"  Everton  spoke  determinedly.  "The  sort  of  man 
you  have  in  mind  grows  nowhere  on  the  face  of  the 
earth.  It  is  a  great  pity,  of  course,  but  unfortunately 
the  fact  remains  that  we  all  are  pretty  much  alike,  in 
spite  of  these  dreams  you  sweet  young  women  have  of 
us." 

"  I  don't  believe  it,"  she  cried  indignantly,  "  I  know 
there  is  someone  somewhere,  a  real  man  (with  some 
faults  of  course),  but  with  a  pure  heart  and  a  true  nature, 
waiting  for  me  even  as  I  am  waiting  for  him,  even  if 
we  may  never  meet  in  all  our  lives." 

Stanley  Everton  was  becoming  nettled  with  all  this 
opposition  against  his  will.  He  was  in  arms  against  this 
unknown  intruder  who  stood  in  his  way.  He  ventured 
to  address  her  in  a  more  familiar  manner,  intending  to. 
break  down  that  resistance  of  hers  at  once. 

"  My  dear  Miss  Diantha,  I  can't  imagine  how  you 
have  lived  in  the  city  all  these  years  and  have  preserved 
such  infantile  innocence  as  that,"  he  remonstrated.  "  Let 
me  open  your  eyes.  I  have  lived  in  the  world  nearly 
thirty-seven  years,  and  I  assure  you  there  is  no  such 
man.  I  will  bet  you  a  thousand  dollars  you  can't  find 
him." 

"  The  idea !  "  she  exclaimed,  with  lowered  brows,  "  I 
do  not  bet." 

There  was  silence  for  a  brief  moment. 

Everton  was,  as  he  had  said,  "  a  business  man."  The 
love  of  the  hazardous  had  become  second-nature  to  him, 
and  this  element  in  him  now  suggested  a  way  out  of  this 
tangle  that  made  his  eyes  sparkle  with  excitement. 

"  I  have  a  proposition  to  make,"  he  began.    "  I  will 


32       THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

speak  the  word,  and  you  may  have  this  position  that  you 
ask  for.  You  are  to  go  out  to  that  end  of  the  world  and 
seek  for  your  elemental  man  —  this  man  of  your  heart. 
I  will  give  you  six  months  —  wait !  " 

He  waved  his  hand  to  her  to  be  allowed  to  finish  — 
"  with  the  proviso  that  if  you  find  him,  I  will  place 
in  the  bank  to  your  credit  one  thousand  dollars,  and  if 
you  do  not  find  him  —  you  are  to  marry  —  me !  " 

She  sat  there  a  little  overwhelmed  and  afraid  of  him. 

"  But  there  must  be  no  mistake,"  he  added  eagerly, 
"  he  must  be  all  you  have  claimed  and  demanded,  no 
ordinary  mortal  will  do,  remember.  And  further  —  if 
you  can  convince  me  that  he  is  all  you  think  he  is,  I 
will  make  it  five  thousand." 

"  How  do  you  mean  ?  "  she  asked,  surprised  out  of  her 
usual  self  into  the  betrayal  of  a  touch  of  curiosity. 

"  Why,  when  you  find  him,  you'll  have  to  fetch  him 
to  New  York  City.  That  is  understood,"  he  said. 
"  You  can't  tell  anything  about  a  man  till  you've  tried 
him  in  the  city  and  seen  how  he  stands  the  test.  That 
would  not  be  fair  to  me." 

"Wouldn't  it?"  she  asked  doubtfully. 

"  Of  course  not,"  he  exclaimed.  "  Now,  first  of  all, 
he  must  be  a  real  man  —  not  a  softy!  He  is  to  be  in- 
nocent, unsullied  by  the  world  and  all  that,  you  know, 
but  a  man  with  fists  —  he  must  fight  for  you,  be  a  savage 
at  heart,  you  know.  He  must  be  elemental  or  he  won't 
do.  I  say  you  can't  find  him,  and  you  say  you  can.  Do 
you  accept  ?  " 

"  Yes,  Mr.  Everton,"  said  Diantha  March,  quietly,  "  I 
do." 


THE  COMPACT  33 

At  that  reply,  he  leaned  over  to  the  little  blue  jug, 
broke  off  a  spray  of  apple  blossom,  and  almost  defiantly 
placed  it  in  his  coat  lapel.  As  he  straightened  up,  the 
frail  petals  fell  off,  as  is  their  way,  leaving  only  a  dry 
twig  there,  over  his  heart.  But  he  only  gave  a  quizzical 
smile  as  if  undismayed  by  the  portent. 

It  was  six  hours  later  in  the  day,  that  he  placed  her  in 
the  section  for  her  overland  journey  for  the  shores 
washed  by  the  Pacific.  She  looked  at  him  with  a  new 
shyness  and  timidity  come  upon  her,  while  he  was  still 
nettled  with  jealousy  of  this  unknown  and  insubstantial 
rival  who  was  not,  as  yet. 

"  I  suppose  you  will  be  falling  in  love  with  old  Lock- 
wood's  nephew  out  there  in  Boulder,  the  first  thing,  or 
even  young  Quincy!  It  would  be  just  like  you  women! 
Go  through  the  woods  and  pick  up  a  crooked  stick  at 
the  last."  He  was  smiling  down  on  her  discontentedly. 

She  was  a  little  afraid  of  him,  and  yet  she  remem- 
bered how  kind  he  had  been. 

"  Not  I !  "  replied  Diantha  brightly.  "  No  crooked 
sticks  for  me  —  not  after  knowing  a  man  like  you !  He 
would  have  to  be  a  pretty  fine  specimen  to  eclipse  you  in 
your  good  qualities,  you  know,  Mr.  Everton !  " 

"  Oh,"  said  he,  in  that  peculiar  accent  of  doubt,  "  and 
have  I  got  some  good  qualities  ?  " 

"  Indeed,  you  have,"  she  said  fervently.  "  Why,  we 
couldn't  live  in  the  office,  when  Mr.  Lockwood  gets  on 
one  of  his  half-human  moods,  if  it  wasn't  for  you.  You 
are  well-known  there  —  for  your  kindness  of  heart.  Do 
you  know  what  we  call  you  ?  " 

He  smiled,  "No!  what?" 


34       THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

"  Everybody's  friend." 

"  Well ! "  he  ejaculated  with  a  sigh,  "  you  are  going 
to  have  your  way.  You  are  going  forth  to  find  that 
man  of  your  heart,  but  remember  — " 

The  train  was  making  ready  to  start  —  "  Oh,  you'll  be 
left,"  the  girl  cried,  "  the  car  is  going  — " 

"  But  remember,  Miss  Diantha,"  he  continued  gravely 
and  undisturbed,  "  I  have  your  promise  that  if  you  do  not 
find  him,  you  will  come  back  and  marry  —  me !  " 


CHAPTER  IV 

THE  STAGE-DRIVER  EXPLAINS 

FIVE  days  had  elapsed  since  Diantha  had  left  New 
York  City  for  Boulder  Camp.  She  had  now  reached 
the  Junction,  the  nearest  railway  station  to  the  lumber- 
settlement,  and,  after  sending  her  telegram  to  the  ex- 
pectant Harris,  had  taken  her  place  in  the  stage  to  be 
driven  the  remaining  miles  to  her  destination. 

After  so  many  days  close  travel  she  was  grateful  for 
the  chance  to  ride  beside  the  stage-driver  up  on  the  high 
seat,  outside  in  the  fresh  air.  It  was  full  of  pine  fra- 
grance as  they  went  along  under  the  trees  in  that  lofty 
altitude,  and  Diantha  felt  herself  exhilarated  to  the 
highest  degree  with  the  thought  of  the  new  world  open- 
ing out  before  her. 

The  driver  was  a  quaint  grizzled  old  fellow  who  was 
inclined  to  the  spinning  of  yarns.  She  managed,  how- 
ever, to  hold  him  to  facts  about  the  people  in  Boulder 
whom  shortly  she  was  to  be  scanning  and  studying  for 
herself. 

He  told  her  of  Mrs.  Mackintosh  and  her  little  boy, 
Tommy,  and  her  brave  efforts  after  the  death  of  the 
Captain  to  take  charge  of  the  Company's  tavern.  He 
deplored  the  meanness  of  "  the  boys  "  in  teaching  Tommy 
to  swear  like  a  trooper. 

"  And  the  little  rascal  ain't  five  yet,"  he  added  dryly. 

35 


36       THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

Diantha  encouraged  him  to  go  on. 

Slowly  he  revealed  things  about  the  little  settlement. 
"  The  boys  air  feelin'  a  little  blue,"  he  said,  "  'cause  Ezra 
Watson  has  lost  his  job  and  there's  a  new  bookkeeper 
comin'  out  from  New  York  to  take  his  place." 

"  And  why  did  Watson  lose  his  job  ? "  Diantha  asked 
as  indifferently  as  she  could. 

"  Oh,  Harris  is  down  on  him  fur  something  I  dunno 
what,"  said  the  driver,  "but  not  even  Barry,  himself, 
could  prevent  him  sendin'  for  a  new  man.  He  is  ex- 
pected any  day  now.  Git  up  there,  Andy." 

"  Barry?  "  she  repeated,  "  who  is  Barry?  " 

The  driver  laughed.  "  Oh,  he's  the  '  Great  I  Am  '  of 
the  camp.  Why,  he's  the  nephew  of  old  Lockwood  him- 
self, the  big  millionaire  of  New  York  who  runs  the  hull 
thing." 

"  Is  his  name  Lockwood  ?  "  she  asked  puzzled. 

"  Yep,  Barry  Lockwood,"  and  he  gave  his  whip  a  crack, 
"  he's  the  gentleman  of  the  camp.  The  boys  thinks  it's 
the  mark  of  manhood  to  grow  a  beard,  but  Barry  is 
clean  shaved,  and  keeps  his  hands  white,  and  drives  fine 
horses  and  wears  New  York  clothes.  But  they  ain't 
down  on  him  fur  that!  They  like  him  'cause  he  drinks 
with  'em  and  gambles  and  has  a  good  time  with  'em  gin- 
erally." 

"  Oh !  "  was  all  Diantha  could  think  to  say.  She  had 
not  reckoned  on  such  a  state  of  society  as  that  out  in  the 
little  town.  She  knew  it  held  good  in  novels  and  tales 
of  the  West,  but  she  had  always  held  that  the  habits  of 
drinking  and  gambling  were  just  as  common  in  London 


THE  STAGE-DRIVER  EXPLAINS  37 

and  New  York.  Morality  and  soberness  were  not  limited 
to  any  locality. 

She  still  held  fast  the  image  of  her  father  as  an  icon 
in  her  faith  that  there  were  good  men  to  be  found 
everywhere. 

"  Who  else  is  there  in  the  camp  ?  "  she  asked.  "  Are 
there  any  nice  women  there  besides  Mrs.  Mackintosh  ?  " 

"  Yes,  there  is  Miss  Read,  the  school-teacher,  and  Mrs. 
Watson,  poor  Ezra's  wife.  She's  got  to  take  in  sewin' 
now  to  keep  things  goin'.  But  she's  always  been  a  great 
one  to  help  ginerally  fur  the  children's  festivals  and 
picnics.  Oh,  you'd  ought  to  see  the  schoolhouse  church 
them  women  got  built  —  that's  all  that  keeps  Boulder 
from  being  a  God-forsaken  place  for  the  women  and 
children.  Git  up,  Andy." 

Diantha's  heart  began  to  fail  her.  Was  this  what  she 
had  come  for?  She  was  almost  sorry  she  had  been  so 
determined.  But  as  a  counter-thrust,  memory  reminded 
her  of  what  was  behind  her.  During  the  five  days  of 
her  travel  in  the  cars  crossing  the  continent  she  had 
thought  it  all  out,  and  her  pride  forbade  her  ever  going 
back,  even  if  she  should  be  on  a  fruitless  quest.  While 
Mr.  Everton  was  a  good  business  friend,  he  could  never 
be  anything  more  than  that  to  her.  Resolutely  she  shut 
her  heart  against  him,  and  determined  that  she  would 
show  him  he  was  not  the  only  man  in  the  world. 

"  Oh,"  said  the  driver,  "  there's  a  new  feller  at  the 
camp,  named  Quincy.  He's  terrible  handsome  —  and 
dresses  up  in  togs  like  he  was  in  a  drammer  of  the  wild 
and  woolly  West.  I  seen  one  them  once  and  I  nearly  bust 


38  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

a  laffin'  at  it  —  I  never  seen  no  such  clothes  in  my  hull  life. 
But  he  thinks  he's  a  cowboy.  His  father  is  one  o'  them 
eastern  nabobs  and  sent  him  out  here  to  get  rid  of  him, 
I  ruther  guess  —  fur  he's  a  kind  of  a  remittance  man. 
He  gits  his  allowance  at  the  office  of  the  Lumber  Com- 
pany. Mrs.  Mackintosh  and  the  women  tried  to  git  him 
away  from  Barry  and  the  drinkin'  and  the  gamblin' ;  fur 
he's  kinder  good-natured  like  a  fool  —  but  I  guess  it  ain't 
no  use!  Ye  see,  Barry  Lockwood  is  the  chief  spirit  of 
the  camp." 

"  More  like  the  chief  villain,  I  should  say,"  exclaimed 
Diantha. 

"  No,  miss,  he's  got  a  way  about  him  that  the  ladies 
likes  as  you  will  see  for  yourself,"  said  the  driver,  sagely 
shaking  his  head. 

Diantha  rebelled  at  this  idea  but  went  on  asking  ques- 
tions about  the  people  of  the  little  settlement  and  finally 
inquired  how  they  amused  themselves. 

He  told  her  that  sometimes  in  the  evenings  the  Cornish- 
men  from  the  mines  near  got  together  and  sang  choruses, 
and  often  they  had  games  of  strength,  throwing  quoits 
or  playing  ball  or  running  races,  or  lifting  weights. 

"  That  sounds  interesting,"  she  said,  "  I  rather  think  I 
shall  enjoy  that." 

"  Oh,  yes,"  continued  the  stage-driver,  "  I  forgot  — 
there's  Caspar  —  he  beats  them  all  at  the  games  —  he's 
a  kind  of  a  Herkkales,  he  is  —  he  kin  lift  twelve  hun- 
dred pounds  on  the  machine  —  and  four  hundred  jest 
by  himself.  But  you  wouldn't  keer  fur  him  —  he  ain't 
got  no  style  about  him  and  he's  as  cross  as  a  bear 
with  a  sore  head  when  he  don't  like  things,  which  is 


THE  STAGE-DRIVER  EXPLAINS  39 

ginerally  the  case.  He  don't  run  with  the  boys  and 
Barry,  fur  he  and  Harris  flocks  together  most  of  the 
time." 

"  Oh,  yes,"  said  Diantha  hopefully,  at  last,  "  you 
haven't  told  me  about  Mr.  Harris.  He's  the  manager, 
isn't  he?" 

"  Yeh !  and  Martin  is  as  plucky  as  if  he  was  big  and 
tall,  which  he  ain't.  He's  laid  up  with  rheumaticks  jest 
now,  but  goes  around  on  two  crutches  doin'  his  duty 
to  the  Company  jest  the  same.  He's  pretty  mad,  I 
tell  you!  And  we're  all  expectin'  to  see  a  fight  any 
day  between  him  and  Barry,  the  old  man's  nephew, 
you  know." 

Diantha  laughed  out  loud  in  spite  of  herself  with  the 
reaction  of  feeling  that  came  over  her.  That  she  had 
come  on  a  wild-goose  chase  she  was  convinced.  The 
driver  looked  at  her  somewhat  puzzled  by  her  sudden 
burst  of  merriment. 

"You  must  excuse  me,"  she  said,  "but  it  seemed  so 
funny  to  think  of  all  the  men  being  so  on  the  rampage 
and  only  three  women  trying  to  do  something  for  order 
and  education  in  the  poor  little  town.  I  was  wonder- 
ing if  that  was  about  the  proportion  everywhere  else 
where  women  were  working,  trying  to  make  things  better, 
and  if  that  was  about  the  way  it  usually  wound  up." 

"  Oh,  now,  it  ain't  so  bad,"  said  the  driver  consolingly ; 
"  we're  about  the  same  as  any  other  town  —  you'll  find 
we're  pretty  human,  after  all !  " 

From  the  top  of  the  rise  Diantha  looked  down  and 
saw  below  her  a  beautiful  river,  and  breathed  in  the 
draughts  of  pine-laden  atmosphere,  and  heard  the  sooth- 


40  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

ing  droning  of  the  mill  slowly  shutting  down  and  saw 
a  gathering  of  men  in  the  midst  of  the  habitations  that 
went  to  make  up  Boulder  Camp. 

"  Why,"  she  said  puzzled,  as  she  observed  the  pecul- 
iar costumes  in  which  they  were  arrayed,  "  they've  got 
on  blankets  and  feathers  on  their  heads  —  are  they  In- 
dians having  a  war-dance  or  what  ?  " 

"  Oh,  that's  some  of  Barry's  foolishness !  I  reckon 
he's  gittin'  ready  to  welcome  the  new  bookkeeper.  Ye 
see,  they  don't  want  a  new  man  in  the  camp  to  take 
the  bread  out  of  the  mouths  of  the  fellers  that's  already 
here.  But  don't  you  be  afraid,  miss.  When  they  see 
a  lady's  the  only  passenger,  off  '11  come  all  them  feathers 
and  blankets  in  a  hurry.  And  you'll  see  what  perfect 
gentlemen  they  can  be.  It'll  be  a  kind  of  a  joke  on 
them  anyway,  fur  they  ain't  had  a  telegram  yit  saying 
he's  arrived  at  the  Junction." 

Diantha  thought  quickly. 

She  had  sent  her  telegram  signed,  "  D.  March,"  to 
Harris  as  soon  as  she  stepped  off  the  train  and  this 
was  the  reception  being  prepared  for  her,  believing  her 
to  be  a  man. 

She  had  insisted  that  a  bookkeeper  was  just  a  book- 
keeper, no  more,  no  less,  and  had  overpersuaded  Everton 
to  say  nothing  about  her  being  a  woman  for  fear  they 
might  be  prejudiced  against  her  beforehand.  Now  she 
would  have  to  take  the  consequences.  In  it  she  saw 
a  way  to  test  the  calibre  of  the  men  who  were  to  re- 
ceive her.  She  would  not  stay  up  on  the  seat  with  the 
driver  and  let  them  see  her  in  time  to  prevent  the 
trouble. 


THE  STAGE-DRIVER  EXPLAINS  41 

"  It  is  getting  a  little  chilly,"  she  said  to  the  driver. 
"If  you  will  let  me  get  down  and  go  inside,  I  shall  be 
much  obliged." 

Presently  the  door  shut  tightly,  and  Miss  March  was 
safely  inside  as  the  stage  bowled  along  its  way  down 
the  mountain-side  to  the  town. 


CHAPTER  V 

THE   BOOKKEEPER   FROM    NEW   YORK 

/TpO  tell  the  truth,  the  settlement  was  seething  with 
•*•  excitement. 

Boulder  Camp  consisted  of  scarcely  more  than  a  few 
dozen  houses  and  cabins  outside  of  the  Company's 
tavern,  which  was  a  large  building  with  a  veranda  on 
the  front.  This  was  facing  the  splendid  view  of  Mount 
Shasta  looming  up  against  the  intense  blue  of  the  sky. 
The  fresh  odor  of  the  sawdust  permeated  the  air  spicily, 
the  water  of  the  Indian  River  splashed  and  tumbled 
past  in  a  soothing  music  that  brought  one  close  to 
nature. 

Yet  in  spite  of  all  this  beauty  and  splendor  of  mountain, 
water  and  forest,  it  was  the  human  problem  that  was 
in  the  ascendancy  —  one  man  trying  to  rule  over  the 
rest  whether  in  the  right  or  the  wrong.  The  driver  had 
said,  "  Barry  is  the  chief  spirit  of  the  camp,"  but  this 
did  not  hold  good  when  he  ran  against  the  will  of  Martin 
Harris,  the  manager. 

Barry,  with  his  white  face  and  scornful  smile,  had 
taken  up  the  cause  of  Ezra  Watson,  the  discharged 
bookkeeper,  and  had  organized  a  revolt  against  Har- 
ris, and  now  he  was  marching  out  his  fierce-looking  men, 
all  in  terrible  array  as  if  about  to  sack  the  town.  They 
were  shooting  off  revolvers  and  trying  to  intimidate 

42 


THE  BOOKKEEPER  FROM  NEW  YORK     43 

the  manager  and  make  him  reinstate  Watson  before  the 
arrival  of  the  new  man.  It  was  nothing  less  than  in- 
spiring to  see  that  one  small  man  on  his  crutches  stand- 
ing there  alone  on  the  veranda  as  they  made  their  de- 
mands. 

"  No,"  he  cried  hoarsely,  '•'  I'll  see  you  in  hell  first." 

"All  right,"  cried  the  ringleader,  "we'll  lay  for  the 
new  man,  won't  we  boys  ?  " 

And  they  roared  in  reply. 

"  He  shan't  take  the  bread  from  our  mouths !  "  shouted 
the  spokesman,  who  was  being  prompted  by  Barry  Lock- 
wood.  "  No  tender  feet  need  apply !  " 

Another  bellow  of  approval  went  up  from  the  half- 
frenzied  men. 

"We'll  make  him  take  the  next  stage  back  to  where 
he  comes  from,"  yelled  the  leader  of  the  chorus. 

"And  what  if  he  won't  go?"  demanded  Martin  from 
the  veranda.  "  You  needn't  think  everybody  is  cowardly 
like  you  —  very  brave  when  you  are  a  dozen  to  one." 

There  was  a  sullen  murmur  from  the  crowd  below. 
"  What'll  we  do  if  he  won't  go,  Dow?"  asked  one  of 
the  men  who  was  wrapped  in  a  blanket  with  chicken 
feathers  stuck  in  a  band  about  his  head. 

"  He's  got  to  go,"  yelled  Dow,  the  spokesman,  "  that's 
all!  We'll  make  him  or  he'll  have  to  take  the  conse- 
quences. Now  for  the  last  time,  Harris,  will  you  take 
Ezra  back  again  ?  " 

The  small  sandy  haired  and  bearded  man  on  his 
crutches  leaned  over  to  them  defiantly.  "  No !  No,  I 
say !  You  can't  run  my  business  for  me.  And  I'll  shoot 
the  first  man  who  lays  hands  on  the  man  who  is  com- 


44  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

ing  in  on  that  stage.     Do  you  hear  ?    And  when  I  say  a 
thing  I  mean  it !  " 

"  Oh,  now,  Harris,  what's  to  prevent  us  shooting  you 
when  it  comes  to  that  ?  "  cried  the  insolent  Barry. 

"  Because  you  know  you'd  get  strung  up  in  no  time," 
replied  Martin,  "  I'm  a  United  States  marshal  as  well 
as  the  manager  of  this  place.  The  law  is  on  my  side." 

In  the  lull  that  followed  this  speech,  there  was  a  woman 
who  ventured  to  come  out  on  the  veranda  and  speak  to 
him  in  a  suppressed  voice. 

"  O  Mr.  Harris,  why  don't  you  take  Mr.  Watson 
back,  and  put  an  end  to  all  this  dreadful  business? 
Why,  it  is  a  disgrace  to  the  town." 

Martin  looked  at  her  peculiarly.  "  This  is  no  place 
for  you,  Miss  Read,  keep  the  children  out  of  sight  till 
this  thing  blows  over.  Not  even  you  can  make  me 
change  my  mind." 

Behind  her  came  another  woman  holding  a  small  boy 
by  the  hand.  She  was  full  of  excitement.  "  Martin, 
for  God's  sake,  take  poor  Ezra  back  and  save  us  all.  I 
can't  stand  it ! "  And  the  tears  were  running  down  her 
face. 

"  Now,  Mrs.  Mackintosh,  if  I  give  you  the  reason  I 
can't  take  Watson  back  will  you  and  Miss  Read  go  in 
and  behave  yourselves  and  let  me  save  the  honor  of 
this  camp?  You  know  I  have  reasons  for  everything  I 
do." 

The  two  women  looked  at  each  other  and  then  at 
him. 

He  lowered  his  voice  to  almost  a  whisper.     "  I  can't 


THE  BOOKKEEPER  FROM  NEW  YORK     45 

take  him  back  —  because  he  is  simply  a  tool  for  Lock- 
wood,  and  it  is  Lockwood  who  is  putting  up  this  whole 
job  on  me.  He  has  gotten  the  men  drunk  and  is  willing 
to  do  murder  before  he  gets  through  just  so  he  can  run 
this  camp.  Now,  go  in,  girls,  and  behave  yourselves. 
Where's  Caspar?  and  Quincy,  also.  Tell  them  to  be 
ready  when  I  whistle." 

At  once  they  took  his  advice  and  fled  the  scene  without 
another  word. 

Down  below  stood  Barry  Lockwood  on  the  lowest  step 
calmly  smoking  a  cigarette,  with  a  peculiar  smile  upon 
his  mask-like  face,  so  shaven  and  so  pale.  A  handsome 
young  fellow  in  theatrical  cowboy  clothes  was  standing 
by  the  horse  from  which  he  had  just  dismounted.  Out 
by  the  side  of  the  road  was  a  young  man  with  heavy 
beard,  rumpled  hair  and  broad  shoulders,  hatless  and  ap- 
parently unconcerned  in  the  exhibition  of  the  masquer- 
ading group  of  lawless  beings  there  assembled,  for  he 
was  keeping  his  eye  on  Martin  Harris  on  the  veranda, 
as  if  awaiting  a  signal. 

The  handsome  horseman  was  young  Quincy  and  the 
hatless,  broad-shouldered  man  was  Caspar.  They  were 
to  rush  to  the  assistance  of  the  incoming  passenger  and 
run  him  into  the  tavern  while  Harris  wras  picking  off 
the  mob  with  buckshot,  if  they  attempted  to  do  them 
harm. 

As  all  were  listening  intently  for  a  sound  above  the 
murmur  of  the  river,  there  came  the  rumble  of  the  stage 
and  its  six  prancing  horses,  the  hoofs  beating  out  a 
staccato  on  the  dusty  road  and  the  driver  cracking  his 


46  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

whip  gaily  as  he  made  a  specious  burst  of  speed  into  the 
little  hamlet  to  show  off  his  beautiful  young  lady  pas- 
senger to  the  astonished  gaze  of  the  natives. 

And  on  the  instant  the  gang  of  tough  desperadoes  and 
mock  Indians  rushed  out  to  meet  it  as  it  came,  with  re- 
volvers cracking  in  a  fusillade  and  themselves  yelling 
like  a  band  of  savages. 

"  Hold  on,"  cried  the  driver,  "  fooled  you  this  time." 
And  he  laughed  like  a  demon  at  them  in  the  midst  of  their 
pandemonium. 

But  Caspar  and  Quincy  awaited  the  signal  from  Har- 
ris. 

"  No  eastern  men  wanted  here ! "  cried  the  mob. 
"  Give  you  one  minute  to  go  back  where  you  came  from !  " 
cried  another  voice. 

At  the  stoppage  of  the  coach,  with  the  driver  protest- 
ing and  the  men  surrounding  it,  Harris  blew  his  whistle, 
and  Caspar  and  Quincy  made  a  sudden  bolt  through  the 
crowd  knocking  some  of  them  down  in  the  wild  and 
tremendous  onrush  they  made  to  reach  the  door  before 
any  one  else. 

Quickly  they  threw  it  open,  but  instead  of  seizing  the 
occupant  and  tearing  with  him  madly  through  the  mob 
to  the  tavern-steps  as  they  had  planned,  they  stood  stock 
still,  which  the  crowd  took  for  weakness  and  they  pressed 
all  the  closer  to  din  into  the  ears  of  the  man  within 
their  demand  for  his  immediate  return. 

Caspar  was  the  first  to  recover  himself.  He  began  to 
push  the  howling  brutes  away  by  main  force,  calling  in 
stentorian  tones,  "  What's  the  matter  with  you,  you  great 
big  fools—" 


THE  BOOKKEEPER  FROM  NEW  YORK     47 

One  fellow  went  sprawling,  as  a  young  and  beautiful 
lady  stepped  out  of  the  coach,  handed  down  into  their 
midst  by  Quincy. 

She  gazed  upon  them  wonderingly  but  did  not  seem 
afraid,  though  it  was  a  scene  and  reception  not  often 
prepared  for  a  woman. 

Those  nearest  in  the  crowd,  stricken  with  shame,  stood 
and  stared.  The  whole  thing  had  been  turned  into  a 
farce. 

"  It's  a  woman,"  was  the  word  whispered  along  to 
those  in  the  rear  and  they  began  to  snatch  off  the 
feathers  from  their  heads  and  to  drop  the  blankets  and 
hide  their  weapons  from  sight,  while  instinctively  they 
divided  and  drew  away  from  the  center  to  give  her 
room  to  pass. 

"  Good  afternoon/'  said  the  beautiful  young  lady  to 
them  all,  and  there  was  a  lifting  of  hats  in  response  and 
awkward  bowing  to  cover  the  confusion  of  the  moment. 
Calmly  she  gazed  at  them,  noting  the  little  man  with 
the  fever-bright  eyes  most  of  all,  and  the  handsome  tall 
fellow  by  her  side  with  the  melancholy  brown  eyes  and 
arrayed  in  cowboy  costume  like  a  play-actor,  as  the 
driver  had  told  her.  Then  she  took  in  the  form  of  the 
man  on  the  other  side  of  her  who  was  like  a  Hercules, 
bearded  and  without  a  hat,  showing  rumpled  locks  and 
blue  eyes  with  black  lashes  that  met  her  gaze  with  a 
flash  of  fire.  She  smiled  and  chose  him  out  of  all  that 
crowd. 

"  Can  I  see  Mr.  Harris  ?  "  she  said  to  him  engagingly. 
"  I  think  he  is  expecting  to  see  me  —  I  am  the  book- 
keeper from  New  York." 


CHAPTER  VI 

HIS   FIRST    NAME    WAS   CASPAR 

TT  was  Caspar  whom  she  had  chosen  to  answer  her  — 
•*•  a  case  of  Greek  meeting  Greek. 

"  You  see,  you  signed  your  telegram,  '  D.  March,'  "  he 
explained  briefly,  "  and  naturally  we  all  thought  it  was 
a  man  bookkeeper  that  was  coming  instead  of  a  lady. 
Harris  is  on  crutches  and  can't  get  around  very  lively 
but  I'll  take  you  to  him." 

As  he  turned  to  lead  the  way,  he  found  Quincy  block- 
ing the  path. 

"  Introduce  me,  Caspar,"  he  begged  audibly,  and  as 
Caspar  was  carrying  her  valise,  he,  Quincy,  insisted  on 
taking  her  umbrella,  talking  all  the  way  to  her  about 
"  dear  old  New  York." 

Like  one  who  holds  the  center  of  the  stage  stood  Lock- 
wood  on  the  step  of  the  tavern,  still  smoking  in  affected 
calmness.  The  shock  of  surprise  was  still  on  him,  how- 
ever, and  in  spite  of  the  lift  of  his  hat  and  the  smile  he 
gave  her,  Diantha  could  feel  his  annoyance  at  the  sight 
of  her. 

She  had  been  prepared  to  find  the  old  man's  nephew 
not  altogether  pleasing,  but  now  on  her  own  account  she 
felt  an  immediate  repulsion  for  him  as  she  noted  the  up- 
turned corners  of  his  mouth  and  the  red-rimmed  lids  of 
his  small  black  eyes. 


HIS  FIRST  NAME  WAS  CASPAR  49 

Although  Harris  was  a  plain  sandy-bearded  man,  his 
manner  was  all  that  could  be  desired,  and  she  liked  him 
at  once.  Mrs.  Mackintosh,  with  Tommy  by  the  hand, 
and  Miss  Read,  gave  her  a  woman's  welcome  and  took 
her  in  to  dinner. 

An  hour  later  Miss  March  was  holding  an  informal 
reception  upon  the  veranda  and  everyone  was  crowding 
around  to  point  out  the  beauties  of  the  scene  stretched 
before  them  in  such  splendid  pageant,  for  it  seemed  she 
was  in  ecstacies  over  the  glory  of  the  sunset. 

Lockwood  and  Quincy,  like  two  rivals,  were  striving 
to  attract  her  attention,  but  she  turned  from  them  both 
and  asked  quaintly,  "  Won't  some  one  please  introduce 
me  to  that  Mr.  Caspar  ?  " 

It  was  such  a  pointed  remark  that  everyone  laughed, 
for  Caspar  was  near  at  hand,  only  as  usual  he  was  not 
talking  any  nor  making  himself  prominent.  Everyone 
knew  he  was  bashful,  save  the  young  lady. 

Even  behind  his  heavy  beard  he  blushed,  and  spoke 
almost  rudely.  "You  have  made  a  mistake,"  he  stam- 
mered, "my  name  is  Rhodes,  it  is  my  first  name  that 
is  Caspar." 

How  could  any  woman  be  anything  but  embarrassed 
after  such  a  blunt  speech  as  that?  But  cleverly  she 
changed  the  subject  by  asking  about  the  odd  little  build- 
ing across  the  road.  "  What  is  it  ?  "  she  exclaimed,  "  it 
looks  so  primitive,  and  interesting,  just  as  if  it  belonged 
in  a  Dutch  painting." 

The  smiles  of  the  women  were  pleasant  to  see  as  Mrs. 
Mackintosh  made  answer.  "  That  is  our  little  school- 
house  church,  Miss  March,  where  we  are  trying  to  do 


50  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

something  for  the  children.  Miss  Read  teaches  week- 
days in  it  and  we  have  Sunday  School  there  and  festivals 
at  Christmas  —  Maybe  you  would  be  willing  to  help 
us?" 

What  was  the  use  of  Lockwood's  remaining  any 
longer?  He  realized  that  he  had  failed  to  make  any 
impression  on  Miss  March.  Over  his  pasty-white  face 
there  came  a  forbidding  frown  and  he  started  down- 
stairs to  the  men  below. 

Dow  greeted  him  scornfully.  "  What  are  we  goin' 
to  do,  hey?  By  God,  Barry,  if  you  don't  help  us  out 
we'll  go  and  tell  her  it  was  you  did  the  whole  business." 

"  Start  the  games,  at  once,"  advised  Lockwood  sagely, 
"  have  the  Cornishmen  ready  to  sing  '  Sweet  Genevieve ' 
and  '  Then  You'll  Remember  Me/  and  have  the  fellows 
with  the  fiddle  and  the  guitar  to  play  under  her  window 
to-night.  She'll  like  that,  I  know  —  all  women  do." 

"  Yes,  that's  all  right  enough,"  returned  Dow,  "  but  we 
want  to  apologize  right  away." 

A  shadow  of  a  man  was  listening  to  them  intently. 
His  fever-bright  eyes  seemingly  burning  in  their  sockets, 
he  was  so  thin  and  wan.  It  was  Ezra  Watson. 

"  Go  around,  Ezra,  and  get  them  ready,"  said  Lock- 
wood,  "  I'll  show  you  how  to  apologize,  all  right."  Dow 
and  Watson  soon  passed  the  word  around  and  the  men 
gathered  in  a  bunch  in  front  of  the  veranda.  Miss 
March  and  the  women  were  still  talking  about  the  fes- 
tivities that  might  be  gotten  up  for  the  children.  They 
heard  her  distinctly  saying  that  she  knew  she  was  going 
to  like  it  in  Boulder  Camp. 

Lockwood  chose  this  moment  to  begin  an  address  of 


HIS  FIRST  NAME  WAS  CASPAR  51 

welcome,  assuring  the  newcomer  that  it  was  a  proud  day 
for  Boulder  Camp  when  she  came  into  their  midst.  He 
finished  by  saying,  "  Now,  there,  boys !  Three  cheers  for 
Miss  March,  the  new  bookkeeper ! "  And  they  were 
given  with  a  will. 

"  Now,  get  Caspar  and  we'll  start  the  games,"  ex- 
claimed Lockwood  eagerly. 

"  He  won't  come,"  said  Dow  moodily.  "  He  says 
there's  no  reason  why  he  should  make  a  holy  show  of 
himself  just  to  please  your  taste  for  theatricals." 

"  Well,  we'll  get  along  without  him  —  damn  him." 
Lockwood  was  furious.  For  he  knew  there  could  be  no 
games  with  Caspar  left  out. 

Harris  and  Caspar  Rhodes  passed  by  at  that  moment 
bound  for  the  office  of  the  Lumber  Company.  Barry 
stopped  them  and  told  what  he  thought  of  a  man  who 
wouldn't  help  out  at  such  a  time. 

Martin  smiled  sarcastically.  "  Go  ahead  and  make 
yourself  agreeable  to  the  new  bookkeeper.  But  don't 
ask  us  to  help  you.  This  is  a  new  deal  all  around. 
And  may  the  best  man  win." 

Diantha  March  was  looking  down  from  the  porch  at 
the  men  below. 

"Why,  what  is  the  matter?"  she  exclaimed.  "Why 
is  Mr.  Lockwood  so  angry  —  and  that  Mr.  Caspar,  too?  " 

"  Never  mind  the  men,  Miss  March,"  said  Mrs.  Mack- 
intosh, "  there's  been  bad  blood  between  them  for  a  long 
time  —  and  of  course  —  now,"  she  added  meaningly,  "  it 
will  be  even  worse." 

While  Diantha  was  trying  to  understand  this  peculiar 
remark,  the  Cornishmen  struck  up  in  accord  singing  their 


52       THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

songs  with  rich  voices,  and  "  Sweet  Genevieve  "  wafted 
out  on  the  twilight  breeze.  It  was  most  charming  and 
she  enjoyed  it  very  much,  but  when  they  had  ended,  she 
asked  in  an  offhand  way,  "  What  position  has  that  Mr. 
Caspar  —  I  mean  —  Mr.  Rhodes  ?  " 
"  He  is  engineer  of  the  mill,"  was  the  answer. 


CHAPTER  VII 

THE   FLASH   OF   LOCKWOOD'S  DIAMONDS 

TT  7  HAT  was  it  that  Diantha  saw  in  Caspar  Rhodes 
*  *  to  make  such  an  impression  upon  her  ?  His  thick 
hair  was  like  a  thatch,  his  manner  was  brusque,  he 
avoided  her.  All  the  others  were  bringing  her  flowers 
and  singing  serenades  under  her  window  and  showing 
off  to  let  her  see  how  fine  and  splendid  they  were. 
Lockwood  wanted  her  to  go  driving  behind  his  beautiful 
bays,  and  handsome  John  Quincy  was  always  hanging 
around  trying  to  hear  the  latest  news  from  "  dear  old 
New  York." 

When  she  went  around  to  get  subscriptions  for  a 
library  for  the  children  everyone  contributed  generously, 
except  Caspar,  who  refused  utterly.  With  all  her  arts 
of  appeal  she  could  make  no  impression  on  his  obdurate 
heart. 

In  desperation  at  him  at  last,  she  gave  way  to  her 
wounded  feelings.  "  How  icy !  how  determined !  how 
implacable  you  are,  Mr.  Rhodes,"  she  exclaimed,  but 
with  the  tears  in  her  eyes.  And  she  turned  away  ab- 
ruptly to  leave  him. 

"  Wait,"  he  cried  after  her,  "  you  have  made  a  mis- 
take, Miss  March,  I  am  none  of  those  things." 

She  came  back  and  looked  straight  into  his  eyes.  How 

53 


54  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

darkly  blue  they  were  with  heavy  black  fringes,  but  he 
faltered  before  that  gaze  of  hers. 

"If  you  are  not,"  said  she,  very  coldly,  "  then  what 
are  you  ? " 

"  I'm  only  —  embarrassed,"  he  said  huskily,  and 
walked  away. 

What  could  a  woman  do  with  a  man  like  that,  she 
thought  as  she  looked  after  him.  He  was  beyond  her 
comprehension.  She  decided  to  punish  him  for  his  in- 
difference. He  should  be  made  to  appreciate  the  efforts 
she  had  made  to  further  their  acquaintance. 

That  evening  on  the  veranda  she  made  herself  agree- 
able to  everyone.  In  answer  to  John  Quincy's  questions 
about  New  York,  for  which  he  was  pining,  she  told  him 
the  thing  she  missed  most  was  attending  her  meetings 
of  the  Single  Taxers.  That  started  a  dozen  questions 
from  Harris  and  Lockwood  and  the  others  gathered 
round. 

Nothing  loth,  she  explained  the  principles  of  her  be- 
loved Henry  George  to  the  wonderment  of  them  all. 
To  think  a  woman,  young  and  handsome  at  that,  should 
know  so  much  about  serious  things.  All  the  time  she 
knew  that  Caspar  was  in  the  background  and  listening 
to  every  word. 

While  she  was  talking,  Lockwood  scanned  her  nar- 
rowly in  his  effort  to  understand  a  girl  who  cared  noth- 
ing for  horses  nor  driving,  and  could  not  be  reached  by 
flatteries.  She  was  something  new  to  his  ken  and  he 
had  considered  himself  clever  in  that  art.  He  observed 
that  her  clothes  were  lacking  in  the  first  touch  of 
frivolity,  her  hands  guiltless  of  a  gold  ring  even.  She 


THE  FLASH  OF  LOCKWOOD'S  DIAMONDS         55 

was  a  woman  —  he  pondered,  she  could  not  be  insensi- 
ble to  the  sparkle  of  jewels  even  though  she  might  be 
panoplied  against  his  love-making.  He  resolved  to  put 
her  to  the  test. 

It  was  a  week  later  that  he  sought  her  out  after  every- 
one had  left  the  veranda  except  John  Quincy,  who  was 
trying  his  best  to  become  a  convert  to  her  Single  Tax 
theories.  But  it  was  hard  work  for  the  young  man  who 
had  never  tried  to  think  in  his  life. 

Lockwood  stood  till  his  patience  was  exhausted,  hear- 
ing Diantha  explain  the  same  thing  over  to  the  young 
fellow  three  separate  times. 

"  I  don't  see  how  you  can  stand  that  cub,"  he  said  at 
last  in  great  scorn  as  if  he  were  beneath  contempt.  "  I 
don't  suppose  you  know  that  the  rich  men  in  New  York 
have  come  to  look  on  the  West  as  a  sort  of  preserve 
into  which  to  turn  their  black  sheep  sons  who  have  dis- 
graced them,  but  it  is  a  fact  and  Quincy  here  is  one  of 
them." 

Instead  of  resenting  this  as  an  insult  Quincy  only 
laughed  in  a  sheepish  sort  of  way. 

"  I  know  I  was  expelled,"  he  said  frankly,  "  but  that 
was  because  I  tried  to  play  a  joke  on  the  professor. 
I  tied  a  donkey  to  his  chair  and  when  he  came  into  the 
class  room  that  morning  he  wasn't  a  bit  surprised  be- 
cause he  already  knew  about  it.  Just  my  luck!  And 
he  told  me  to  take  my  brother  downstairs  and  to  shut 
the  door  from  the  outside.  And  so,  you  see,  the  joke 
was  on  me."  His  voice  changed  to  a  sort  of  entreaty. 

"  But  you're  not  going  to  think  any  the  less  of  me  for 
that,  are  you,  Miss  March?  College  is  an  awful  bore." 


56  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

Diantha  felt  annoyed  and  weary  of  both  men.  She 
asked  them  to  let  her  enjoy  the  sunset  in  peace  and  not 
bother  her  with  their  past  history.  John  was  consid- 
erate enough  to  take  himself  off,  but  Lockwood  persisted 
in  remaining. 

Barry  realized  that  she  was  annoyed  and  he  assumed 
a  confidential  tone.  "  Don't  be  angry,"  he  said,  "  I  only 
wanted  to  get  rid  of  that  cub  of  a  Quincy  for  I  have 
been  wanting  to  get  in  a  word  edgewise  for  days.  I 
have  been  wanting  to  know  something.  What  is  your 
favorite  jewel?  "  He  smiled  at  her  triumphantly. 

"  Oh,  I  have  grand  ideas,"  she  exclaimed,  "  nothing 
less  than  the  evening  star  would  suit  me,  and  a  crescent 
moon  for  a  tiara."  Diantha  always  became  extravagant 
in  her  language  when  she  wanted  to  cover  up  any  vague 
alarms.  And  that  there  was  cause  for  fear  in  this  man's 
manner,  she  felt  instinctively. 

"  No,  but  seriously,"  Lockwood,  continued.  "  You 
are  a  woman  —  you  must  have  some  longings,  some 
desires.  You  don't  care  for  driving  —  and  you  don't 
seem  to  care  much  for  clothes,  I  must  say.  Maybe  you 
prefer  to  invest  in  jewels  which  can  be  easily  turned 
into  cash.  Something  like  this  perhaps  ? "  He  tossed 
a  purple  velvet  box  into  her  lap. 

She  was  so  completely  taken  by  surprise  that  she 
thought  it  must  be  a  joke. 

"  Open  it,"  he  said  lightly.  She  touched  the  spring, 
the  lid  flew  open  and  two  big  diamonds  set  in  a  ring 
flashed  out  at  her  their  rainbow  fires. 

"  Very  pretty,"  she  said,  indifferently.  "  Too  bad  the 
young  lady  should  have  broken  the  engagement,"  and 


THE  FLASH  OF  LOCKWOOD'S  DIAMONDS         57 

she  passed  the  velvet  box  and  its  contents  back  to  him. 

But  his  small  black  eyes  were  ablaze  with  excitement. 
"  It  is  yours,"  he  said  hoarsely. 

She  was  so  angry  she  was  afraid  she  would  scream  out 
at  him.  She  decided,  however,  to  be  more  effective  than 
that  with  such  a  creature  as  he  was. 

"  Well,  if  it  is  mine,"  she  exclaimed,  "  I  have  only  one 
use  to  make  of  it,  and  that  is  to  see  if  I  can  make  it  hit 
that  post  down  there." 

She  hurled  it,  box  and  diamonds  and  all,  down  at  the 
mark  below  and  he  was  so  enraged  that  he  swore  at  her. 
Then  he  tried  to  laugh  it  off  but  she  arose  from  her  chair 
and  stood  and  looked  at  him  with  her  clear  eyes  that 
tried  to  understand  what  his  motive  might  be.  It  was 
in  vain,  however.  There  was  no  comprehending  such  a 
man. 

"  What  a  fuss,"  he  said  with  a  laugh  that  was  forced, 
"  just  because  I  want  to  give  you  a  little  present.  But 
maybe  you  prefer  government  bonds?" 

She  walked  past  him  with  her  queenliest  manner  and 
went  within. 

"  I  wonder,"  she  said  to  herself,  as  she  passed  through 
the  hall,  "  if  those  diamonds  have  anything  to  do  with  my 
not  being  able  to  make  my  books  balance  with  the  cash  in 
the  safe?" 


CHAPTER  VIII 

THE  PRICE   OF   A   GOVERNMENT  BOND 

n\IANTHA  was  puzzled.  She  had  been  studying 
*^  things  for  several  days.  She  had  seen  in  the  daily 
press  a  word  which  lingered  in  her  mind.  That  word  was 
"  boodle,"  and  it  was  connected  with  a  public  scandal 
where  a  gang  of  politicians  had  paid  the  bookkeeper  of 
the  office  to  go  to  jail  for  the  crowd,  and  it  was  announced 
that  after  several  years  the  big  villains  had  got  him  a 
pardon  and  the  creature  had  come  out  with  thirty-thou- 
sand dollars  to  his  credit.  She  had  been  horrified  when 
first  she  read  of  it,  but  now,  as  she  thought  it  over,  she 
who  had  never  known  the  name  of  fear,  began  to  know 
what  that  sensation  meant. 

How  did  she  know  what  sort  of  a  gang  they  were  in 
Boulder  Camp?  It  took  thousands  of  dollars  to  pay  off 
the  men  and  it  all  had  to  pass  through  her  hands.  How 
did  she  know  but  that  Harris  and  all  of  them  were  in- 
volved in  this  effort  to  put  her  books  in  a  tangle?  The 
books  were  all  in  a  boggle  when  she  arrived  and  they 
had  not  been  set  straight  yet.  What  did  it  mean? 

Harris  seemed  to  be  watching  her  in  a  peculiar  way. 
She  decided  to  do  something  definite.  He  came  to  her 
desk  and  told  her  he  was  going  to  spend  Sunday  at  the 
Junction.  "  Then  won't  you  let  me  have  the  combina- 
tion of  the  safe  while  you  are  gone  ?  "  she  asked  point- 

58 


THE  PRICE  OF  A  GOVERNMENT  BOND          59 

edly.  "  As  I  am  responsible  for  the  money  I  might  as 
well  have  the  care  of  it." 

He  agreed  to  this  proposition  at  once.  "  What's  that  ? " 
asked  Lockwood,  who  was  always  hanging  around  keep- 
ing his  eye  on  everything. 

"  I  am  going  to  keep  the  combination,  myself,  till  Mon- 
day," responded  she  promptly. 

"  That's  a  good  idea,"  he  remarked,  knocking  off  the 
ashes  from  the  end  of  his  cigar. 

But  he  scanned  her  with  half-closed  eyes. 

It  was  Saturday  and  she  was  very  busy,  so  that  she 
decided  to  retire  early  to  her  own  room  after  dinner. 
Lockwood  was  wandering  about  uneasily  on  the  veranda 
and  in  the  halls  of  the  tavern  until  the  men  began  to  joke 
him  and  to  ask  if  he  had  lost  anything.  Little  Tommy 
was  about,  playing  as  usual  and  presently  he  began  to 
bribe  the  child  with  candies  to  come  and  sit  on  his  knee. 
"  What's  that  you've  got  ?  "  he  asked.  "  Why,  it's  '  Jack 
the  Giant  Killer.'  "  And  presently  he  took  the  child  into 
the  hall  and  bade  him  go  in  and  see  Miss  March  and 
hide  his  book  under  the  bed  for  a  joke. 

"  And  don't  let  her  see  you  do  it,"  he  explained. 

"  Nope,"  said  Tommy  all  sticky  sweet,  and  fond  of 
doing  mischievous  things  as  all  small  animals  are. 

So  it  came  to  pass  that  as  Diantha  was  about  to  undo 
her  hair  for  the  night,  there  came  a  childish  thumping  on 
the  door  and  Tommy  poked  his  cherub-head  into  the 
space  and  said  he  wanted  to  get  in.  He  squeezed  in  past 
her  and  danced  about  the  room  and  finally  crawled  under 
the  bed. 

He  screamed  and  made  a  terrible  time  as  she  dragged 


60  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

him  out,  which  brought  his  mother  to  the  rescue  and 
finally  he  was  carried  away  as  a  very  much  injured  in- 
nocent. 

Fairly  worn  out  with  the  struggle  Diantha  was  glad  to 
retire.  The  day  before,  she  had  passed  Caspar  in  the 
hall  and  to  make  conversation  had  asked  him  how  far 
it  was  to  Mount  Granite,  as  she  was  thinking  to  have 
a  climb  up  its  rocky  height.  But  he  had  told  her  it  was 
too  far  for  her  to  walk,  as  it  was  twelve  miles,  and  she 
had  said  she  was  a  Canadian  and  not  afraid  of  twelve 
miles.  She  was  wondering  if  it  would  not  be  a  good 
thing  to  show  him  what  she  could  do  in  the  way  of  walk- 
ing. Besides  it  would  get  her  away  from  Lockwood  and 
Quincy  and  all  of  them.  She  had  a  feeling  she  would 
like  to  be  alone  for  about  twenty-four  hours. 

Diantha  was  fond  of  poetry  and  a  line  came  to  her  mind 
from  the  book  she  had  been  reading. 

"Tis  great  — 'tis  great  to  be  alone." 

"  That's  just  it,"  she  said  to  herself  "  it's  the  loneliness 
of  New  York  that  makes  it  so  splendid  —  but  here  you 
can't  get  away  from  people  without  walking  twelve 
miles." 

The  next  morning  early  she  was  up  getting  ready  for 
her  jaunt.  As  she  sat  on  the  floor  putting  on  her  shoes, 
something  of  a  bright  yellow  color  lying  under  the  bed 
caught  her  attention.  She  drew  it  out  and  saw  it  was 
Tommy's  book.  She  felt  something  in  it  like  a  wad, 
and  idly  opened  it. 

The  thing  she  saw  there  made  her  catch  her  breath. 
Mutely  she  sat  looking  at  the  awful  sight  of  a  bunch  of 


THE  PRICE  OF  A  GOVERNMENT  BOND         61 

greenbacks  pinned  deliberately  between  the  pages. 
"  Maybe  you  prefer  government  bonds,"  came  back  to 
her  memory.  She  counted  them  —  yes  it  summed  up 
to  five-hundred,  the  value  of  a  bond. 

She  felt  herself  in  the  toils  of  an  unscrupulous  and 
determined  agency  for  her  destruction. 

"  Is  this  the  way  they  make  bookkeepers  into  bood- 
lers  ?  "  she  asked,  hardly  knowing  how  to  clear  herself 
and  almost  suspicious  of  her  own  integrity.  "  I  remem- 
ber hearing  of  a  reporter  who  wrote  a  book  on  '  Slow 
Methods  of  Becoming  a  Criminal '  and  I  think  I  under- 
stand what  he  meant." 

She  sat  there  wrought  up  to  the  highest  pitch  to  know 
what  to  do.  "  He  shall  not  know  that  I  found  it,"  she 
said  to  herself  — "  he  took  it  from  the  safe  and  back  into 
the  safe  it  shall  go.  How  lucky!  I've  got  the  combi- 
nation," but  she  was  sobbing  in  joy  and  relief  at  that 
happy  thought.  "  I'll  put  it  in  now,  and  it  is  so  early  no 
one  will  know." 

No  sooner  said  than  done.  She  was  like  a  child  in 
her  emotions  and  already  full  of  happiness  at  her  escape 
from  the  trap  set  to  catch  her.  There  might  be  more 
troubles  coming  but  she  was  safe  that  day,  and  she 
meant  to  enjoy  her  freedom  out  on  that  splendid  old 
frowning  mountain.  What  were  twelve  miles  to  her! 


CHAPTER  IX 

DIANTHA  ASCENDS  A   MOUNTAIN   AND  CROSSES  A  RIVER 

TT  was  a  splendid  outburst  of  feeling  that  carried 
•*•  Diantha  along  on  that  bright  Sabbath  morning  to- 
ward the  object  of  her  desires.  Before  she  reached  it 
an  old  rancher  came  along  and  gave  her  a  lift  in  his  old 
wagon  and  carried  her  across  the  river,  so  that  nothing 
obstructed  her  will  or  her  body  in  having  her  own  way 
freely  and  completely.  She  forgot  she  had  to  go  back, 
she  only  thought  of  going  on  and  on  in  the  beautiful 
world  she  found  herself  roving  in.  The  smell  of  the 
pines  was  exhilaration,  and  the  green  and  the  blue  and 
the  white  of  the  earth  and  the  sky  and  the  mountain 
simply  filled  her  soul  with  delight. 

She  ate  her  lunch  at  a  turn  in  the  road  that  led  up  to  the 
great  shoulder-of-earth,  and  then  began  the  ascent.  She 
had  not  minded  the  walking  up  to  this  point,  but  slowly 
it  crept  over  her  that  she  was  not  getting  on  very  well. 

The  increasing  altitude  began  to  affect  her.  She  made 
a  brave  attempt  to  give  forth  a  great  shout,  out  there 
all  alone  with  no  one  to  hear,  as  she  had  promised  her- 
self. And  then  as  her  voice  seemed  faint  she  began  to 
wonder  if  things .  were  not  a  little  strange.  She  saw 
the  sun's  rays  were  slanting  and  found  by  her  watch 
it  was  four  o'clock. 

Then  it  was  she  came  to  her  senses  and  began  to  won- 

62 


DIANTHA  ASCENDS  A  MOUNTAIN  63 

der  how  she  was  going  to  get  home  before  night.  A 
cold  breeze  began  to  pierce  her  through  from  the  snow- 
banks above.  Then  it  became  cloudy,  and  as  she  hastened 
down  rapidly  she  found  herself  going  lame  from  weari- 
ness. 

She  did  not  dare  to  rest,  however,  with  the  darkness 
coming  down  so  fast  and  presently  she  could  no  longer 
see  the  trail. 

To  give  herself  new  courage  she  began  to  halloo. 
Then  it  seemed  something  wonderful  had  happened; 
for  there  actually  came  back  an  answer.  It  thrilled  her 
to  think  of  somebody  beside  herself  being  in  that  vast 
place  of  silence.  Presently  it  struck  her  poignantly  that 
the  increasing  sounds  that  sharply  cut  the  night  were 
not  human  outcries  but  the  baying  of  wolves.  She  knew 
the  sound  from  her  early  childhood.  She  found  that  hav- 
ing been  in  the  city  so  long  had  taken  away  her  zest 
for  such  an  experience  as  this.  She  had  never  known 
before  how  weak  and  human  she  was  in  the  face  of  na- 
ture, she  who  had  often  bragged  that  she  had  been 
reared  in  the  lair  of  the  wild  beasts. 

Her  eyes  searching  for  signs  of  the  trail,  were  caught 
by  the  sight  of  a  piece  of  white  paper  lying  by  a  rock. 
Her  heart  beat  with  hope,  for  she  recognized  it  as  one 
she  had  flung  away  after  eating  her  lunch.  She  made 
her  way  slowly,  yet  forward,  and  then  began  to  wonder 
how  she  was  going  to  get  across  the  river  which  held 
her  from  the  road  to  Boulder. 

She  was  deciding  that  she  would  have  to  camp  there 
all  night,  when  she  heard  a  cry  that  seemed  to  her  to 
be  different  from  that  of  the  wild  coyotes  in  the  distance 


64  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

—  it  seemed  nearer  and  more  articulate.  She  listened 
intently.  "  Halloo,"  sounded  distinctly.  Instinctively 
she  made  response,  and  then  repented  of  it,  lest  it  might 
be  some  tramp. 

Then  she  kept  quiet  for  a  while,  until  she  heard  the 
reassuring  words  "  Where  —  are  —  you  ?  "  and  some- 
how there  was  a  quality  in  the  voice  that  gave  her  con- 
fidence. She  made  answer  again  and  again,  and  finally 
a  man's  form  emerged  from  the  shadows  of  the  night. 

"  Whatever  possessed  you  to  do  such  a  foolhardy 
thing?"  was  the  first  thing  the  man  said  to  her. 

She  was  feeling  so  happy,  however,  to  see  some  one 
there  in  all  that  gloom  that  she  only  laughed  in  return. 

"  You  are  more  bother  than  you  are  worth,"  he  con- 
tinued. She  thought  it  simply  heavenly  to  meet  a 
human  being  old  enough  and  brave  enough  to  be  able 
to  look  out  for  her  in  that  wilderness  and  she  did  not 
care  how  much  he  scolded.  She  merely  asked  him  very 
mildly,  how  it  was  that  he  had  happened  to  come. 

He  told  her  Mrs.  Mackintosh  had  come  to  him  at 
about  five  o'clock  to  know  what  to  do  about  her  absence, 
and  he  had  guessed  where  she  was,  and  the  returning 
old  rancher  had  corroborated  it,  and  he  had  started  out 
on  his  horse  at  once.  "  But  unfortunately,"  he  added, 
"my  horse  has  gone  lame.  There  was  nothing  to  do 
but  tie  him  to  a  tree  by  the  roadside,  and  I  came  on, 
thinking  to  find  you  by  the  riverside.  But  there  was 
no  sign  of  you,  so  I  came  across,"  and  his  voice  sounded 
as  if  he  disapproved  of  her  generally. 

"  I  am  so  glad,"  she  said  meekly.  At  this  moment  the 
coyotes  burst  into  a  weird  howl  as  if  in  derision,  and  in 


DIANTHA  ASCENDS  A  MOUNTAIN  65 

spite  of  herself,  as  he  turned  to  lead  the  way  back  to  the 
river,  she  seized  hold  of  his  coat.  The  wild  beasts 
sounded  so  near  and  she  was  afraid  two  or  three  of  those 
long  paces  of  his  would  carry  him  out  of  sight  and  reach. 
"  I  hope  you  don't  mind,"  she  said,  faintly. 

"  Hang  on,"  he  said  briefly,  and  thus  they  came  to  the 
bank  of  the  stream.  There  he  stopped  and  said  abruptly, 
"  But  how  are  you  going  to  get  across  is  the  question." 

She  said  something  about  wishing  she  had  wings  so  she 
could  fly  over,  but  he  never  relaxed  from  that  severity 
of  his.  He  said  that  the  current  was  swift  only  in  the 
center,  but  that  it  was  so  full  of  rocks  that  that  alone 
made  it  impossible  for  her  to  wade  it  as  he  had  done. 

"  Perhaps  I  could  carry  you  over  ?  "  he  said. 

"  Oh,  no,  not  at  all,"  she  spoke  up  with  alacrity.  "  You 
go  home  and  I'll  stay  here.  I'm  not  afraid  now." 

"  Such  nonsense !  "  he  exclaimed. 

A  faint  drizzle  filled  the  air.  As  he  went  down  to  the 
bank  and  told  her  to  follow,  she  felt  as  if  the  world  were 
coming  to  an  end  and  she  was  so  footsore  and  weary 
she  did  not  much  care.  He  stepped  off  into  the  water, 
and  turned  around  to  her  as  she  stood  on  the  bank  and, 
without  a  word,  he  put  his  strbng  arms  around  her  as  if 
she  were  a  helpless  child.  Then  he  lifted  her,  saying, 
"  Put  your  arms  around  my  neck  and  hold  tight." 

Then  into  the  dark  water,  he  made  his  way  forward. 
There  was  something  so  bewildering  about  it  all,  that  she 
said  to  herself,  "  I  am  dreaming,  that's  what  it  is."  But 
there  she  was  with  her  arm  about  his  neck  and  being 
"  toted  "  over  the  river  like  a  baby.  That  she,  Diantha 
March,  should  live  to  see  herself  in  such  a  situation,  such 


66  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

a  predicament,  such  a  part  as  that,  was  past  belief,  she 
thought  to  herself. 

He  almost  stumbled  once ;  it  was  in  the  center,  where 
the  current  was  swishing  about  them,  and  the  depth  was 
up  above  his  knees.  She  held  her  breath  and  tried  not 
to  clinch  too  tight  and  thought  a  thousand  thoughts, 
enough  to  last  a  lifetime.  All  at  once  she  remembered 
Crania,  who  was  carried  over  the  River  Shannon  by  her 
lover,  Diarmid,  in  the  le§endary  days,  as  told  her  by  her 
dear  old  grandmother,  and  she  felt  a  glamour  stealing  over 
her  it  was  hard  to  resist.  His  breath  was  on  her  cheek 
and  it  was  as  sweet  as  a  girl's.  He  regained  his  balance 
and  went  on  steadily. 

She  thought  to  herself  that  if  they  both  had  fallen  into 
a  hole  in  the  treacherous  depth  of  that  mountain  stream, 
then  and  there,  and  had  been  drowned  together,  well  — 
and  she  drew  a  full  breath,  it  would  have  been  a  sweet 
death  to  die.  He  was  so  free  from  the  horrid  usual  con- 
comitants of  a  man,  she  told  herself,  that  he  was  actually 
inviting.  There  was  no  vinous  breath,  no  stale  tobacco- 
odor,  nothing  but  just  the  sweetness  of  a  man  newly 
born  upon  him.  And  she  was  so  grateful  to  him,  and  so 
dependent  upon  his  strength,  and  it  was  so  dangerous  with 
the  current's  cold  swish  below,  that  everything  made  her 
forget  that  she  was  not  a  child  at  that  moment. 

Yet  vaguely  she  wondered  to  herself  why  it  was  that  a 
woman  or  a  child  even  should  think  that  a  kiss  could  pay 
for  things  as  well  or  better  than  a  coin  of  the  realm. 
Especially  why  such  a  thought  as  that  should  have  been 
suggested  to  her  who  had  never  kissed  any  man  outside 
of  her  kin.  But  the  idea  was  almost  irresistible,  as  she 


DIANTHA  ASCENDS  A  MOUNTAIN  67 

felt  his  breath  coming  fast,  and  his  heart  beating  in  strong 
sledge-hammer  thumps,  with  the  tremendous  energy  he 
was  putting  forth  to  bear  her  across  the  treacherous 
waters  below,  in  safety. 

It  seemed  to  her  she  had  lived  a  lifetime,  when  finally 
he.  had  reached  the  opposite  bank  and  set  her  again  upon 
the  ground. 

"If  it  hadn't  been  for  that  rock  rolling  over  in  the 
center,"  said  he,  "  I  think  I  could  have  gotten  you  over 
perfectly  dry." 

She  felt  in  a  dream  more  than  ever,  for  it  had  been 
the  boast  of  Diarmid  that  he  had  carried  Crania  over 
without  so  much  as  dampening  the  hem  of  her  robe.  She 
came  to  her  senses  and  realized  that  her  feet  were  a 
little  cold,  yes,  they  were  even  dripping  with  water,  but 
she  had  not  noticed  it  before. 

He  leaned  over  and  wrung  out  some  of  the  water  from 
his  trouser's  legs  and  then  led  the  way  to  the  road.  It 
grew  darker  all  the  time,  but  they  just  jogged  along  in 
silence  at  first.  After  a  while  he  asked  almost  im- 
patiently, "  Why  did  you  do  such  a  fool  thing  ?  " 

And  his  voice  sounded  like  music  in  her  ears.  "  So 
she  told  him  how  she  had  wanted  to  be  alone,  how  tired 
she  had  become  of  seeing  so  many  people  all  about  her, 
packed  in  tight  in  the  New  York  flats,  like  living  sardines, 
and  all  about  her  bachelor-girl  friends  of  Pleiades  Court 
in  New  York  —  as  they  went  walking  along  the  dark 
road,  with  the  derisive  howls  of  the  coyotes  punctuat- 
ing the  night,  and  the  hoot  of  an  owl  adding  its  weird- 
ness  to  the  hour.  He  seemed  interested,  and  so  she 
told  him  about  the  Henry  George  meetings  in  the  sum- 


68  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

mer,  in  Madison  Square,  and  how  they  walked  through 
the  streets  in  the  twilight  without  any  hats  on,  and  at- 
tended their  meetings  as  other  people  did  their  churches. 

He  seemed  surprised  at  this  item,  for  he  was  not 
aware  that  the  author  of  "  Progress  and  Poverty  "  was 
taken  so  seriously  as  all  that.  Then  she  told  him  about 
how  she  had  left  home  and  gone  to  Boston,  and  what  an 
admirable  man  her  father  was,  and  many  other  things. 

He  told  her  about  his  mother,  and  how  he  had  given 
up  going  to  college  when  his  father  had  died,  and  similar 
bits  of  great  interest  to  her. 

She  felt  that  she  had  never  had  a  more  delightful 
talk  with  anyone  in  her  life,  in  spite  of  her  blistered 
feet,  which  were  also  wet  and  by  now  a  mass  of  mud. 
They  came  to  where  the  horse  had  been  tethered,  and  he 
insisted  on  her  getting  on  while  he  led  him.  But  she 
only  stayed  on  for  a  short  rest,  for  the  animal  limped 
so  she  feared  he  would  stumble  and  fall  with  her. 

So  on  they  went,  till  the  hour  of  dawn  began  to  il- 
lumine the  heavens,  and  by  this  time  she  was  hanging  on 
to  his  arm  and  merely  dragging  her  feet  after  her. 
After  the  sun  began  to  appear  in  a  chariot  of  red  and 
purple  clouds,  he  told  her  that  they  should  not  have 
more  than  a  couple  of  miles  further  to  go,  and  then 
they  relapsed  into  a  furious  silence  —  saying  nothing 
but  thinking  thousands  of  things.  Suddenly  he  said, 
"  I  suppose  you  will  be  prepared  for  what  is  to  follow  ?  " 

She  told  him  she  doubtless  would  have  a  bad  cold. 
He  said,  "  You  must  be  very  simple  — "  and  then  left  it 
unfinished.  She  began  to  get  uncomfortable.  He  went 


DIANTHA  ASCENDS  A  MOUNTAIN  69 

on  and  asked  if  she  had  never  read  "The  Mill  on  the 
Floss." 

"  Of  course,  I  have,"  she  replied,  a  little  worried, 
"  Maggie  Tulliver  is  a  great  favorite  of  mine." 

"  Well,  we  shall  have  to  be  cleverer  than  Maggie 
was/'  he  said,  presently.  He  looked  at  his  watch.  "  At 
the  present  rate  we  are  going,  we  shall  arrive  at  the 
camp  about  five  o'clock.  There  are  some  mean  folks 
in  our  town,  as  well  as  there  were  in  Maggie's  village, 
so  we  may  as  well  get  ready  for  them  beforehand." 

"  What  do  you  mean  ?  "  she  asked. 

"  Well,  I  shall  say  we  are  engaged  to  be  married, 
and  in  a  couple  of  weeks  you  can  break  it  off." 

She  thought  to  herself  that  he  said  it  as  coolly  as  if 
he  had  remarked,  "  I  will  pass  you  the  cucumbers." 

"  But  —  you  don't  want,  to  —  marry  ?  "  she  said 
stupidly. 

"Of  course  not,  I  can't  afford  it,"  he  made  reply, 
and  then  he  added  in  what  seemed  to  her  the  most  pecul- 
iar way,  as  if  significant  of  a  thousand  things,  "  be- 
sides—" 

While  she  was  trying  to  understand  what  this  might 
possibly  mean,  there  came  a  sound  of  tramping  hoofs 
down  the  road,  and  presently  appeared  three  men  on 
horseback  on  a  search  for  them.  Then  with  John  Quincy 
driving,  followed  a  double-seated  rig,  in  which  to  place 
them  when  found.  Mrs.  Mackintosh  could  keep  the 
secret  no  longer  and  had  sent  them  out  to  their  assist- 
ance. In  an  instant,  John  was  on  the  ground  to  give 
Diantha  a  lift  into  the  vehicle,  and  the  three  men  had 


70  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

sprung  to  his  assistance,  holding  the  bridles  of  their 
horses  about  their  left  arms. 

They  were  all  waved  away,  however,  by  "  that  man," 
as  Diantha  called  him. 

"  Miss  March  is  my  affianced  wife,"  said  he,  as  calm 
as  ice,  "  I  claim  the  privilege  — "  and  he  lifted  her  up 
with  a  great  strong  swing  that  made  her  feel  as  if  she 
were  a  child  in  his  arms,  in  spite  of  her  weight  of  a 
hundred  and  thirty  pounds. 

"  Oh,  now,  I  call  that  a  shame !  "  exclaimed  handsome 
John  Quincy,  impulsively.  "  The  idea  of  you  walking 
off  like  that  with  Miss  March  while  the  rest  of  us  were 
trying  to  break  the  ice  gradually!  I  never  gave  you 
credit  for  being  such  a  bold  one  as  all  that,  Caspar !  " 

"  Still  waters  run  deep,"  spoke  one  of  the  horsemen, 
sententiously. 

As  for  Diantha,  she  had  to  restrain  her  desire  to 
laugh  at  everybody  hysterically,  and  took  refuge  in  the 
first  thought  that  came  into  her  head.  "  So  lovely  of 
you  all  to  come  out  to  find  us,  and  give  us  such  a  wel- 
come home.  You  can  never  know  how  grateful  I  am." 

"A  regular  bridal  procession,"  said  old  Dow,  dryly, 

John  Quincy  went  on  with  more  of  his  demurrings, 
under  cover  of  which  Diantha  spoke  briefly  to  the  man 
by  her  side,  whose  face  was  turned  to  the  front  and  not 
to  her  at  all. 

;<  Tell  me  quick,  what  sort  of  a  man  is  that  Lock- 
wood?" 

"  An  inveterate  gambler,"  he  replied. 

"And  Harris?" 

"  As  good  a  man  as  breathes." 


DIANTHA  ASCENDS  A  MOUNTAIN  71 

As  they  drove  up  in  front  of  the  tavern  Mrs.  Mackin- 
tosh greeted  her  most  sympathetically,  and  carried  her 
off  and  put  her  to  bed,  where  she  remained  for  two 
days.  She  spent  the  time  thinking  to  herself,  "  I  was 
never  so  happy  in  my  whole  life  and  I  was  never  so 
miserable.  What  did  Caspar  mean  when  he  said,  '  be- 
sides ? '  Was  it  because  he  has  to  support  his  mother 
or  did  he  mean  that  when  it  came  to  marrying  he  had 
some  one  else  in  mind  ?  " 


CHAPTER  X 

EVERTON    IS   IN    EARNEST 

SOMETHING  had  happened  to  Stanley  Everton. 
A  new  idea  had  entered  his  brain  giving  a  new 
pulsation  to  his  heart,  as  if  there  were  an  element  like 
wine  in  his  veins.  All  else  beside  that  new  idea  paled 
into  insignificance.  He  found  the  pessimistic  epigrams 
of  Colonel  Quincy  palling  upon  him,  the  tart  sayings 
of  old  Lockwood  jarring  upon  his  nerves. 

His  discontent  increased  until  he  found  himself  ring- 
ing the  bell  of  the  gold-and- white  apartment  where  dwelt 
his  old-time  friend,  Howard  Rose,  and  his  dark-haired 
wife,  Vivian,  celebrated  for  her  beautiful  singing  voice. 

She  met  him  delightfully,  and  told  him  all  the  news  of 
Diantha  as  told  her  by  the  "Pleiades  girls."  "  They 
say  Diantha  has  met  her  fate  out  there,"  she  announced 
to  him  as  if  much  amused.  "As  if  anybody  could  be 
good  enough  for  our  Diantha,  even  if  he  is  a  Hercules." 

"  True  enough,"  said  Everton,  more  troubled  than 
before. 

Later  the  two  men  strolled  out  together  and  in  his 
perturbed  state  of  mind  Everton  took  his  friend  into 
his  confidence  and  told  him  the  whole  story  of  his  con- 
versation with  Miss  March  and  of  the  compact  into 
which  they  had  entered. 

"  I  should  not  have  let  her  go,"  he  said  determinedly, 

72 


EVERTON  IS  IN  EARNEST  73 

"that  was  my  mistake.  But  I  hadn't  the  faintest  idea 
that  she  would  find  anybody  out  there  worth  speaking 
to  for  three  minutes,  but  from  the  letters  I  have  re- 
ceived and  the  way  the  girls  seem  to  be  taking  it,  it 
would  appear  that  this  fellow  who  poses  as  a  sort  of 
local  Hercules  is  having  it  all  his  own  way.  I  don't  like 
it,  and  I'm  not  going  to  stand  for  it.  Diantha  belongs 
to  me  by  right  of  priority  and  I'm  going  to  have  her." 

Like  himself,  Howard  Rose  was  also  a  New  Yorker 
by  adoption  and  he  loved  a  battle  of  any  kind.  He  was 
a  man  of  few  words,  however,  when  he  came  to  express 
himself,  so  he  only  smiled  and  said,  "  Why  don't  you 
go  out  there  arid  beat  him  at  his  own  game  ?  " 

"  That's  not  a  bad  idea,"  returned  Everton,  musingly. 
"  But  I  wonder  if  there  isn't  something  else  I  can  do 
besides  that,  something  that  Miss  March  would  like? 
How  would  it  do  to  send  out  a  library  for  the  queer 
little  schoolhouse  church  she  tells  about?  And  how 
about  these  girl  friends  of  hers,  of  Pleiades  Court,  Col- 
leen, and  the  others?  Couldn't  I  do  something  for 
them?" 

"  Why,  of  course !  Let  them  have  the  fun  of  selecting 
the  library,"  suggested  Howard,  "  and  give  the  whole 
bunch  an  automobile  ride  and  a  dinner  with  Vivian  to 
chaperone  them.  Diantha  will  be  sure  to  hear  of  it  all 
right." 

"  Yes,  that's  a  good  pointer,"  said  Everton,  still  in  a 
brown  study,  "  and  what  about  that  Henry  George  busi- 
ness they  all  are  so  interested  in,  how  would  it  do  if 
I  went  with  them  to  some  of  those  Single  Tax  meet- 
ings?" 


74       THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

Howard  looked  at  him  in  deep  amazement.  "  Why, 
Stanley,  old  man,  you  must  be  in  earnest ! " 

"  In  earnest  ?  "  he  repeated  fiercely,  "  I  never  was  so 
determined  to  win  a  bet  before  in  all  my  lifel" 


CHAPTER  XI 

MOONLIGHT   BENEATH    THE   PINES 

the  life  of  her,  Diantha  March  could  never  re- 
member  how  she  managed  to  get  through  the  next 
four  weeks  after  her  mountain-tramp  all  night  with 
Caspar  Rhodes. 

First  of  all  there  was  her  reckoning  with  Barry  Lock- 
wood.  She  could  never  forget  that  morning  with  the 
hoarse  roar  of  the  sawmill  sounding  in  her  ears,  when 
he  came  and  stood  by  her  desk  with  a  derisive  smile  on 
his  pasty-white  face. 

"Well?"  was  all  he  said. 

She  looked  upon  him  as  a  kind  of  madman  and  there- 
fore knew  she  should  be  compelled  to  fall  back  upon  all 
her  woman's  wit  and  cleverness  to  avoid  a  scene  with 
him. 

"  Oh,"  she  said  as  quietly  as  she  could  possibly  man- 
age it,  "you  want  to  know  what  has  become  of  the 
money  you  were  so  good  as  to  lend  to  the  firm,  till  the 
missing  money  turns  up?  It's  all  right,  I  put  it  back 
into  the  safe,  and  Mr.  Harris  quite  approves  —  don't 
you,  Mr.  Harris  ?  " 

At  this  Harris  came  forward  and  expressed  himself 
as  satisfied,  but  he  was  very  pale  and  watchful  of 
Lockwood,  holding  one  of  his  crutches  in  his  hand  like 
a  weapon  to  be  used  for  striking. 

75 


76  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

"  You  think  you're  damned  smart !  don't  you  ? 
but  you'll  find  it  don't  pay,  my  lady ! "  exclaimed  Barry 
through  closed  teeth  in  his  baffled  rage.  "  What  kind 
of  a  bookkeeper  are  you,  any  way?  " 

She  took  up  one  of  her  business-cards  from  the  desk 
and  passed  it  to  him.  It  contained  her  name  with 
three  initials  after  it.  He  pretended  he  did  not  under- 
stand. 

"  Diantha  March,  C.  P.  A.,"  he  exclaimed  scornfully. 
"What's  that?" 

"  That  is  my  card,"  she  said  with  all  her  power  of 
self-control,  "  it  tells  you  the  kind  of  a  bookkeeper  I 
am,  a  Chartered  Public  Accountant.  I  won  the  title 
from  a  college  in  New  York  City." 

He  seemed  to  realize  that  she  was  beyond  his  com- 
prehension. 

As  he  turned  to  leave  the  office  beaten  for  the  first 
time  in  his  life  in  having  his  own  way,  he  gave  her  a  final 
shot. 

"  Miss  March,  I  give  you  warning !  people  who  live 
in  glass  houses  can't  afford  to  make  enemies.  Just  think 
that  over,  will  you  ?  " 

When  he  had  departed  she  turned  to  Harris. 

"  Something  will  have  to  be  done,  Mr.  Harris,  I  can't 
go  on  like  this,"  she  said  quietly.  "  What's  the  reason 
that  brute  is  allowed  to  go  on  the  way  he  is  doing  ?  " 

"  Because  of  the  influence  he  has ;  his  uncle  keeps 
him  here." 

"But  not  if  he  knew  he  was  stealing  the  cash  from  the 
safe,"  she  exclaimed.  "  I  know  old  Horace  J.  well 
enough  for  that.  Why,  the  old  man  is  a  miser." 


MOONLIGHT  BENEATH  THE  PINES  77 

"  And  the  nephew  is  a  degenerate,"  added  Harris. 

"  I  don't  see  how  you  have  stood  it,"  she  said  looking 
at  Harris  kindly.  "  We'll  have  to  send  for  Burns  to  come 
out  and  give  him  a  private  report  for  Mr.  Everton.  He's 
the  one  that  will  see  to  it.  Do  you  know  Mr.  Everton  ?  " 

"  Only  by  name  and  hearsay,"  replied  Harris. 

"  He  is  one  of  the  most  admirable  men  you  ever  met," 
her  voice  was  full  of  enthusiasm,  "  why,  in  the  office  we 
call  him  '  Everybody's  Friend.'  " 

"  What  a  godsend  you  are,  Miss  March,"  spoke 
Martin  Harris.  "  Maybe  I'll  get  well  now,  but  this  thing 
has  nearly  eaten  the  heart  out  of  me." 

"  When  you  are  dealing  with  a  madman,"  said  she 
sagely,  "  you  are  justified  in  saying  anything  and  doing 
anything  to  prevent  bloodshed.  Now,  we'll  have  to  ask 
Burns  to  be  sent  out  for  some  other  reason  than  the  real 
one.  What  can  it  be?" 

"  Why,  there  has  been  some  talk  about  putting  in  an 
electric  plant,  and  I  had  hoped  they  would,  because  it 
would  give  Caspar  a  chance." 

"  Oh,  Caspar !  "  she  exclaimed. 

"  You  know  he's  pretty  poor  because  he  has  to 
support  four  people  on  what  he  gets,  that's  why  he 
couldn't  give  you  anything  for  the  library." 

"  Oh,  well !  then  you  write  for  Burns  to  be  sent  out  to 
look  into  the  matter  and  I  will,  too.  By  the  way,  Mr. 
Harris,  that  last  remark  of  Mr.  Lockwood's  refers  to 
something,  I  suppose,  about  Caspar  —  and  me  ?  " 

"  I  am  afraid  it  does,  Miss  March  —  but  don't  be 
troubled  —  everyone  knows  Caspar  is  the  soul  of 
honor." 


78  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

Later  in  the  day  Diantha  had  a  talk  with  Mrs. 
Mackintosh  and  conveyed  to  her  as  delicately  as  possible 
that  although  she  dressed  plainly  she  received  a  good 
salary  from  the  company  equal  to  that  of  any  man,  and 
also  that  she  taught  in  the  night-school  in  New  York 
in  the  winter  and  received  for  that  another  one  hundred 
a  month  —  and  that  she  tried  to  be  forehanded  and 
thrifty. 

The  good  woman  gazed  upon  her  with  admiration. 
"  Well,  then,  Miss  March,  you  are  much  better  off  than 
Caspar  is.  I  don't  think  he  has  any  idea  of  it." 

"  No,  of  course  he  hasn't,"  said  Diantha  meaningly, 
"  and  he  thinks  he  is  too  poor  to  marry  —  he  only  became 
engaged  to  me  from  a  sense  of  duty  and  he  expects  me  to 
break  it  off  as  soon  as  everyone  gets  through  talking 
about  our  tramp  the  other  night." 

"If  it  had  been  anyone  but  Caspar,"  said  Mrs.  Mack- 
intosh severely,  "  I  could  have  understood  it.  But 
there  is  no  need  for  any  girl  to  have  to  marry  Caspar  even 
if  she  has  been  compelled  to  be  out  all  night  with  him. 
That  was  why  I  chose  him  to  go  after  you,  because  I 
knew  he  was  a  perfect  gentleman,  and  I  could  trust  him, 
as  I  could  myself.  Why,  that  man  has  never  kissed  a 
girl  yet !  That's  what  they  all  say." 

Diantha  steadied  herself.  It  was  true  then.  He  was 
the  Parsifal  of  her  dreams,  the  pure  and  unsullied 
being  she  had  come  so  far  to  find. 

She  wanted  to  make  it  easy  for  him  to  be  engaged  to 
her,  and  this  was  why  she  had  spoken,  but  it  was  all  in 
vain.  After  her  talk  with  Mrs.  Mackintosh,  Caspar 
hardly  spoke  to  her  at  all  on  the  veranda  in  the  evenings. 


MOONLIGHT  BENEATH  THE  PINES  79 

He  made  only  a  few  remarks  and  excused  himself  early 
and  retired  leaving  her  in  an  agony  of  doubt. 

At  last  she  received  a  note  from  him  saying  that  he 
thought  she  might  as  well  break  off  the  pretended  en- 
gagement as  it  was  no  longer  a  matter  of  talk  in  the 
town  and  there  was  no  need  to  keep  it  up  any  further. 

The  same  mail  brought  her  a  letter  from  her  friend 
Colleen,  telling  her  all  the  wonderful  things  Mr.  Ever- 
ton  was  doing,  about  their  selecting  the  library  and  the 
rides  and  pleasures  he  had  given  them,  and  also  about 
his  actually  attending  the  Single  Tax  meetings. 

She  stood  meditating  in  the  middle  of  the  floor. 

"Well,  I  can  almost  understand  how  it  was  that 
Elizabeth  loved  that  wicked  Tannhauser  of  hers," 
she  announced  in  her  impatience.  "  It  was  because  he 
had  so  many  arts  at  his  command  that  he  knew  how  to 
flatter  and  please  a  woman  while  Wolfram  was  encased 
in  a  wall  of  stone  in  spite  of  all  his  many  virtues  and 
splendors." 

Why  did  Caspar  act  so  peculiarly? 

She  brought  to  mind  the  description  of  a  painting  one 
of  the  Pleiades  girls  had  seen  at  The  Paris  Exposition. 

It  was  that  of  a  girl  standing  in  a  wheat  field  and 
by  her  side  was  a  grand  knight  in  armor,  with  a  bunch 
of  red  plumes  rising  above  his  helmet  and  he  was  ten 
feet  tall  and  the  girl  loved  him  madly.  But  the  fact 
was  made  plain  in  the  painting  that  no  one  was  really 
there  beside  her,  glancing  down  with  love  in  his  eyes  at 
her.  He  was  transparent,  so  one  could  see  the  wheat 
stalks  through  him  and  was  only  the  figment  of  her 
imagination. 


80  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

It  occurred  to  her  that  maybe  she  was  like  the  girl  in 
the  wheat  field.  She  was  all  mistaken  some  way  in 
thinking  that  Caspar  really  cared  for  her  behind  all  that 
brusque  manner  of  his.  But  how  could  she  be  so  de- 
ceived. She  had  thought  it  was  his  poverty  alone  that 
stood  between  them  and  so  had  contrived  to  have  Mrs. 
Mackintosh  smooth  away  this  difficulty  by  telling  him 
of  her  own  prosperity.  But  herd  he  was  actually  per- 
suading her  it  was  time  to  break  the  engagement. 

"  What  can  one  do  with  a  man  like  that  ?  "  she  ex- 
claimed, "  he  doesn't  want  to  marry  me,  even  if  I  am 
better  off  than  he  is  —  why!  maybe  that  is  what  is  the 
matter !  "  She  put  her  hand  to  her  brow,  as  it  flashed 
over  her  that  Caspar  was  not  civilized  enough  to  want 
to  marry  a  woman  because  she  was  well  off,  on  the  con- 
trary he  doubtless  scorned  such  a  thought. 

When  Mrs.  Mackintosh  had  told  him  of  her  little 
prosperity  it  had  only  made  an  obstacle  between  them 
instead  of  helping  matters  any.  She  wondered  how  she 
could  have  been  so  crude  and  so  lacking  as  not  to  have 
understood  him  better. 

"  It  has  only  taken  five  years  in  New  York  to  make 
me  forget  how  a  true  man  feels  on  such  a  proposition  as 
that.  I  am  afraid  I  am  losing  my  own  sense  of  delicacy 
—  and  getting  a  little  —  hardened  —  hardened." 

She  thought  of  Mr.  Everton  then  and  wondered  if  she 
might  not  appear  to  Caspar  as  Mr.  Everton  had  ap- 
peared to  her. 

She  hastened  to  assure  herself  that  she  was  not 
hardened,  that  she  had  only  made  a  mistake  and  re- 
solved that  she  would  not  allow  such  a  thing  as  this  to 


MOONLIGHT  BENEATH  THE  PINES  81 

Come  between  her  and  Caspar.  Her  heart  cried  out 
fiercely  against  such  a  working  of  fate  as  losing  him 
now  that  she  had  found  him.  She  would  do  anything, 
make  any  sacrifice  of  her  pride  to  have  him  say,  "  I  love 
you." 

She  had  said  that  when  one  is  dealing  with  a  madman 
one  was  justified  in  saying  or  doing  anything  to  prevent 
bloodshed.  "  And  also  to  prevent  heartbreak,"  she  as- 
sured herself.  "  It  is  noble  of  Caspar  to  have  such  high 
ideas  and  I  wouldn't  have  him  otherwise,  but" — and 
she  shook  her  head,  "  it  is  a  kind  of  madness  to  let  pov- 
erty on  his  part  and  prosperity  on  my  part  stand 
between  us  two.  I  am  too  sensible,  I  will  do  some- 
thing, something  to  remove  that  idea  from  his  brain  and 
then  see  if  he  has  a  heart  after  all ! " 

That  evening  on  the  veranda  she  managed  to  make 
them  all  confess  how  many  brothers  and  sisters  there 
were  in  the  family  of  each  and  then  she  announced  she 
could  beat  them  all,  in  that  she  was  the  youngest  of 
twelve  and  the  luckiest  one  of  the  flock,  adding  indiffer- 
ently, "  That  was  why  I  left  Canada  for  New  York ;  it 
needed  somebody  to  get  a  little  prosperity  in  the  home- 
place." 

And  then  she  turned  her  head  and  looked  straight 
into  Caspar's  blue  eyes  and  saw  the  kindling  of  a  new 
flame  in  their  depths. 

"  Don't  you  think  so,  Mr.  Rhodes  ?  "  she  said  insist- 
ently, and  he  gave  her  a  quick  little  nod. 

She  had  conveyed  to  him  as  cleverly  as  was  possible 
the  information  she  had  desired  to  impart,  that  in  spite 
of  her  fine  salary  she  had  so  much  to  do  for  others 


82  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

dependent  upon  her  that  she  had  only  enough  left  for 
her  absolute  needs.  And  she  saw  that  he  understood. 

Presently  she  rose  to  go  within,  and  instead  of  giving 
her  his  usual  chilly  good  night,  he  begged  her  to  take 
a  little  walk  with  him  in  the  moonlight.  As  she  took 
his  arm  and  walked  along  the  moonlit  road,  up  and 
down,  in  and  out  of  the  clump  of  sweet-smelling  pines, 
she  could  feel  that  he  was  laboring  under  a  great  ex- 
citement. 

After  a  long  silence,  he  said  in  a  strangely  hushed 
tone,  "  As  long  as  it  is  for  the  last  time  —  I  may  —  as 
well — "  and  then  he  broke  off  abruptly. 

"  May  as  well  —  what?"  she  said  lightly  as  if  it  were 
nothing  serious,  but  his  blue  eyes  looked  straight  into 
hers  for  the  first  time,  and  she  felt  a  great  joy  stealing 
into  her  heart.  He  was  not  ten  feet  high,  nor  did  he 
wear  a  bunch  of  red  plumes  on  the  top  of  his  helmet,  yet 
she  knew  she  was  the  girl  in  the  wheat  field. 

"  Explain/'  he  said.  But  they  walked  up  and  down 
and  speech  hardly  seemed  necessary.  "  I  feel  that  the 
moment  has  come,"  he  ventured  at  last,  "  when  you  may 
break  our  —  engagement  with  perfect  safety  —  as  the 
incident  of  a  few  weeks  ago  —  or  is  it  —  years  —  ago 
—  should  be  forgotten  by  now,  and  we  need  not  keep 
up  this  pretence  any  longer.  At  the  same  time,  how- 
ever, I  feel  that  I  must  explain  —  something" —  and  his 
voice  grew  husky. 

"  I  am  so  glad,"  she  said,  "  I  thought  you  had  some- 
thing to  explain." 

"  Oh,  did  you  ?    Well,  that  makes  it  easier,  of  course. 


MOONLIGHT  BENEATH  THE  PINES  83 

Now  that  we  are  to  dissolve  this  —  partnership.  Shall 
I  call  it  a  partnership  ?  " 

She  agreed  she  liked  the  term  very  well. 

"  Now  that  we  are  to  dissolve  it,"  he  repeated,  "  it 
will  be  no  harm  to  tell  you  that  this  has  been  a  very 
difficult  role  for  me  to  play,  because  I  have  feared  all 
the  time  that  you  would  think  I  might  be  taking  advan- 
tage of  it,  taking  advantage  of  the  circumstances,  I 
mean  —  so  that  while  I  have  been  acting  in  a  friendly 
way  to  make  others  believe  we  were  engaged,  at  the  same 
time,  I  have  also  been  acting  in  a  distant  way  to  you,  so 
as  not  to  appear  —  too  presumptuous." 

She  agreed  that  it  was  something  like  that. 

"  And  another  thing  has  troubled  me  very  much,"  he 
continued,  and  she  could  feel  his  arm  trembling  with 
suppressed  emotion  where  her  fingers  touched  it  lightly, 
"  Mrs.  Mackintosh  intimated  that  you  are  well  off  and 
that  added  to  my  perplexity,  for  I  feared  you  might 
suspect  I  had  entrapped  you  —  into  this —  partnership 
of  —  of  ours  —  in  some  way."  And  then  he  burst  out 
into  a  perfect  tumult  of  feeling  in  such  contrast  to  the 
measured  sentences  of  the  instant  before,  that  she  was 
almost  alarmed  as  he  went  on  to  say  that  he  could  not 
stand  it  to  be  misunderstood  like  that  for  a  moment. 
And  that  he  had  never  been  so  thankful  in  his  life  as  to 
hear  that  she  was  one  of  twelve  children,  and  had  to 
help  her  family. 

"  For  now  I  can  act  myself,"  he  exclaimed  eagerly, 
"  and  let  you  know  the  whole  truth,  now  that  I  know 
you  have  responsibilities  to  others,  the  same  as  I  have, 


84  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

and  that  it  will  not  be  taking  advantage  of  the  circum- 
stances —  seeing  now  that  they  no  longer  exist." 

He  saw  reflected  in  her  face  a  something  of  the  wild- 
ness  of  his  own,  and  calmed  down  suddenly.  "  I  hope 
I  have  not  alarmed  you  —  for  that  would  be  too  bad," 
and  he  laughed. 

Diantha's  brain  was  in  a  tumult.  What  had  he  been 
saying?  She  couldn't  for  the  life  of  her  tell,  only  that 
the  partnership  was  dissolved  and  he  was  very  much 
relieved.  But  the  look  in  his  eyes  did  not  go  with  the 
words. 

"  Of  course,  when  any  one  has  duties  to  others,  they 
take  precedence  over  any  personal  feeling  one  may 
have,"  he  went  on,  more  calmly,  "  but  that  inexorable 
fact  cannot  prevent  one  from  having  personal  feelings, 
however  much  one  tries.  And  though  I  am  in  duty 
bound  to  step  to  one  side  and  go  from  your  life  —  for- 
ever —  O  Miss  March !  "  he  took  her  hand  in  his  and 
held  it  an  instant,  "  I  want  you  to  know  that  I  have 
never  been  so  happy  and  yet  so  miserable  in  all  my  life 
as  I  have  been  since  I  first  met  you." 

It  was  no  figment  of  her  imagination.  Her  knight 
stood  by  her  side. 

He  was  very  much  embarrassed  then  and  so  was  she. 
She  could  not  speak.  She  did  not  know  why  they  had 
to  part  forever,  and  she  did  not  care.  It  was  enough  to 
her  that  she  knew  he  was  real,  and  that  she  had  heard 
him  speak  these  words.  "  Happy  and  miserable  ?  Yes, 
that  is  what  love  means,  undoubtedly,"  she  thought  to 
herself ;  for  that  was  the  way  she  had  been  feeling,  too, 
all  the  time  of  their  partnership. 


MOONLIGHT  BENEATH  THE  PINES  85 

"  Now  that  it  is  all  over,"  he  said,  "  I  want  you  to 
know  that  I  have  never  known  any  one  like  you  in  my 
life,  so  clever,  so  bright,  so  beautiful  and  so  good." 

She  had  to  laugh  at  that,  and  assured  him  he  must  be 
making  fun  of  her.  But  he  said  no,  he  meant  it,  and 
then  begged  her  to  forgive  him  for  appearing  so  ungen- 
erous about  refusing  to  help  out  on  the  Sunday  School 
fund  for  the  reason  that  he  had  to  be  just,  before  he 
could  afford  to  be  generous;  that  he  had  to  help  his 
family  first. 

Diantha  was  so  happy  that  she  did  not  care  if  he  had  a 
thousand  brothers,  sisters,  mothers,  and  aunts  to  support. 
She  rejoiced  to  think  that  here  by  her  side  was  a  man 
after  her  own  heart,  even  if  they  did  have  to  part  for- 
ever. She  was  so  glad  that  there  was  one  such  man  left 
in  the  whole  world,  that  it  renewed  her  faith  in  mankind 
generally. 

Mr.  Everton  had  been  mistaken  when  he  had  said  that 
there  were  no  innocent  men  in  the  world,  that  they 
were  all  alike.  She  had  proved  it. 

Caspar  was  noble  and  high-minded  as  any  Parsifal,  as 
any  Wolfram.  He  believed  that  duty  came  first  —  that 
she  was  involved  in  the  needs  of  her  family  as  he  was 
himself  in  his,  he  accepted  the  inevitable  patiently,  yet 
must  let  her  know  that  she  was  dear  to  him.  That  was 
enough  for  one  night. 

They  walked  up  and  down  in  the  splendid  silver  of 
the  moonlight,  unaware  of  the  world  in  general,  until 
some  coarse  creature  thrust  himself  upon  their  notice 
by  speaking  out  most  rudely.  Diantha  had  been  so  ab- 
sorbed in  what  Caspar  was  saying  that  she  did  not  catch 


86  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

the  words,  but  there  was  a  raucous  laugh  that  brought 
her  to  her  senses. 

"  I  am  afraid  it  was  Lockwood,"  said  Caspar. 

"  But  why  do  you  say  '  afraid/  "  she  ventured. 

"  Because  he  has  been  trying  to  pick  a  fight  with  me 
for  some  time.  He  has  an  evil  tongue." 

She  understood.  She  had  incurred  his  enmity  and 
this  was  to  be  the  revenge  that  he  had  threatened  her 
with.  She  entreated  Caspar  not  to  pay  any  attention 
to  him,  but  simply  to  consider  the  source,  a  gambler  mad- 
dened by  drink  whose  habits  made  him  beneath  contempt. 

"A  man  deserves  to  be  killed  who  takes  a  woman's 
name  in  vain/'  said  he  resolutely. 

"  O  Caspar,"  she  exclaimed,  as  the  terrors  of  the  sit- 
uation dawned  on  her,  "  and  have  you  been  enduring 
this,  too,  on  top  of  all  those  other  troubles  —  for  me  ?  " 

As  she  glanced  into  his  face  for  one  good  look,  she 
saw  that  his  forehead  under  the  thick  mop  of  hair  was 
almost  milk-white,  that  his  dark  beard  did  not  conceal 
his  high  cheek-bones  and  that  the  ascetic  tightening  of 
his  lips,  did  not  prevent  their  being  as  red  as  a  woman's 
and  that  there  was  a  spark  of  fire  shining  in  his  dark- 
blue  eyes. 

"  I  think  we  had  better  be  going  in,"  he  said,  "  for 
though  it  is  so  beautiful  out  here  in  the  moonlight,  we 
know  well  enough  that  all  these  things  have  to  come 
to  an  end." 


CHAPTER  XII 

ONE  DANCE   WITH    CASPAR 

ON  the  announcing  of  the  breaking  of  the  engage- 
ment of  Caspar  and  Diantha,  John  Quincy  begged 
that  Miss  March  would  accept  him  for  escort  to  the 
Grand  Ball  which  was  to  be  given  at  the  Junction  by 
the  Woodmen,  a  fraternal  organization  of  which  Caspar 
was  treasurer. 

Mrs.  Mackintosh  urged  her  to  do  so  as  they  were  all 
going  together  in  a  group  to  have  a  good  time. 

Finding  that  Caspar  would  be  there,  Diantha  got  out 
her  party-gown  and  waved  her  hair  and  burst  upon  them 
all  like  a  butterfly  fresh  from  its  chrysalis.  She  would 
compel  him  to  look  at  her. 

From  afar  she  saw  him.  As  usual  he  was  alone. 
Her  heart  yearned  over  him.  What  a  maddening  thing  it 
was  that  they  should  be  so  near  and  yet  so  far.  She 
felt  she  would  dare  every  convention  to  have  one  dance 
with  him.  Yet  how?  A  broken  engagement  generally 
left  a  pair  at  outs  with  each  other.  It  would  be  in- 
consistent, it  would  be  a  cause  for  scandal  for  them  to 
be  friendly  enough  to  dance ! 

She  looked  up  to  find  Barry  Lockwood  asking  for  her 
programme.  It  was  full  already  but  the  menace  in  his 
eyes  filled  her  with  dread.  She  realized  that  he  meant 
to  make  trouble. 

87 


88  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

"Don't  be  worried,  Miss  March,"  said  Mrs.  Mackin- 
tosh, "everybody  knows  that  Barry  is  jealous!" 

Diantha  took  a  breath.  This  then  was  the  way  it 
appeared  to  the  people  of  Boulder.  On  the  whole  it  was 
better  to  let  them  think  so  than  to  have  them  know  the 
truth  until  he  was  uncovered  and  cast  out  in  all  his  in- 
famy. She  wondered  how  long  it  would  be  until  Burns 
came  out  to  learn  what  was  the  matter  and  then  go  back 
to  reveal  it  all  to  Everton,  who  would  see  that  justice 
was  done  and  the  town  rid  of  his  hated  presence. 

Until  then  she  realized  she  would  have  to  be  very  cir- 
cumspect, very  cautious,  or  the  bad  blood  already 
existing  between  him  and  Caspar  would  have  some 
terrible  result.  Yet  her  heart  cried  out  that  she  wanted 
to  have  just  one  dance  with  Caspar  and  then  she  would 
be  content. 

She  took  John  Quincy  into  her  confidence  and  as  he 
was  always  good-natured,  he  assented  to  her  proposi- 
tion most  willingly.  They  went  out  on  the  floor  and 
whirled  around  the  room  several  times,  and  then  as  they 
reached  the  door,  where  was  one  standing  in  rather 
somber  mood,  John  released  her  and  said  promptly, 
"  Well,  Caspar,  here's  your  chance !  " 

A  brilliant  light  came  into  his  blue  eyes  as  he  smiled 
at  her,  but  there  came  a  tremble  about  his  lip  as  if  he 
were  trying  to  control  himself.  "  How  do  you  know 
whether  I  can  dance  or  not  ? " 

"  I  don't  care  whether  you  can  or  not ! "  she  said 
eagerly,  "  but  I  can't  endure  it  to  see  you  here  all  alone 
while  I  am  having  such  a  good  time." 


ONE  DANCE  WITH  CASPAR  89 

He  put  his  arm  about  her  waist  gently,  and  swung  out 
with  that  strong  impetus  that  made  her  feel  he  was  a 
natural  waltzer,  slow  and  steady  and  measured  like  the 
beat  of  a  pendulum.  It  was  not  the  latest  step  like 
John's,  but  plain  and  masterful  like  a  strong  heart-beat 
in  its  systole  and  diastole.  She  was  so  happy;  only  she 
knew  it  must  come  to  an  end,  and  what  she  was  going 
to  do  then  she  did  not  know.  For  with  that  sweet  breath 
upon  her  cheek  she  thought  again  of  the  night  when 
he  had  carried  her  over  the  dark  river,  and  she  longed  to 
be  free  from  conventions  and  other  people  and  customs 
and  manners  so  she  might  shake  off  the  whole  world  and 
be  with  him  alone. 

She  was  rudely  awakened  from  her  thoughts  by  some- 
one getting  in  the  way  and  pushing  against  them  and 
throwing  them  out  of  balance. 

She  saw  the  smiling  white  face  of  Lockwood  with  its 
red-lidded  eyes.  She  heard  the  insulting  words  of 
familiarity  with  which  he  addressed  her  in  the  presence 
of  Caspar  to  enrage  him  and  bring  about  a  miserable 
scene  there  before  every  one.  This  was  to  be  his 
revenge  for  her  guarding  the  safe  from  his  infamous 
schemes. 

"  Nobody  pays  any  attention  to  a  drunken  man's 
insults,"  she  said  quickly,  noting  the  suppressed  rage 
in  Caspar's  eyes.  "  Take  me  to  Mrs.  Mackintosh  at 
once." 

"  I  should  have  thrashed  him  a  week  ago,"  said 
Caspar,  hoarsely. 

"It   is  all  my   fault,"  she  said,  "I  shouldn't  have 


90       THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

danced  with  you.  I  implore  you  to  let  it  pass.  That 
man  is  at  my  mercy  —  I'll  see  that  he  is  punished  —  but 
just  have  faith  in  me  and  wait  a  little." 

"  What  do  you  mean  ?  "  asked  Caspar. 

Diantha  became  confused  and  could  not  answer  him 
without  telling  more  than  she  wanted  to  reveal.  So 
she  blundered  from  one  poor  explanation  to  another. 

There  came  a  puzzlement  into  Caspar's  blue  eye.  "  I 
should  be  sorry  for  you  if  you  got  mixed  up  in  any  way. 
You  may  not  know  it,  but  some  people  cannot  resist 
Lock  wood." 

"  Well,  I  can ! "  she  cried,  "I  simply  abominate  him." 

But  everything  was  changed  between  them.  He  left 
her  with  Mrs.  Mackintosh  without  another  word. 

Diantha  knew  she  was  standing  on  the  brink  of  a 
precipice.  Barry  Lockwood  had  given  her  to  under- 
stand, with  the  most  devilish  subtlety,  there  was  no  fail- 
ing to  comprehend  that  it  was  a  higher  price  than  mere 
money  he  was  demanding  now,  a  more  poignant  bribe 
he  was  offering  her  to  relax  her  vigilance  over  the  safe 
and  the  books  —  it  was  the  life  of  the  man  she  loved. 

He  would  keep  on  with  his  insults  until  Caspar  could 
stand  no  more  and  when  in  his  enraged  manhood  he 
should  strike  the  first  blow  with  his  fist,  Lockwood 
would  shoot  him  through  the  heart.  The  malignity  of 
the  thing  drove  her  nearly  mad.  If  only  she  could  do 
something  to  gain  time,  gain  time  until  Burns  came  out 
from  New  York !  What  could  she  do,  that  was  the  next 
question. 

"  How  white  and  tired  you  are  looking,  Miss  March," 
said  Mrs.  Mackintosh,  and  Diantha  tried  to  smile  at  her. 


ONE  DANCE  WITH  CASPAR  91 

The  grand  banquet  was  ready  and  John  offered  her 
his  arm  for  the  supper  march.  Every  one  was  hearty 
and  hungry  and  the  feast  disappeared  like  magic. 
Diantha,  however,  was  in  such  a  quandary  that  she  did 
not  know  what  she  was  eating,  trying  to  face  that 
terrible  question  which  had  to  be  met  and  at  once. 

All  the  way  home  in  the  stage  she  was  still  meditating. 
When  they  all  got  out  and  went  up  the  steps  to  the 
tavern,  Caspar  passed  Diantha  by  without  a  look. 
Lockwood  smiled  at  her  in  his  derisive  way  and  took 
off  his  hat  to  her  with  a  mocking  bow. 

Was  this  a  sign  to  her  as  to  the  course  to  follow? 

She  went  up  to  him  boldly  and  spoke  for  all  to  hear. 

"  I  hope  you  are  happy,  Mr.  Lockwood,  over  your 
night's  work,"  she  said,  clearly  and  distinctly.  "  I  hope 
it  is  a  pleasure  to  you  to  know  that  Mr.  Rhodes  and  I 
have  quarrelled  over  you." 


CHAPTER  XIII 

DEALING   WITH    A    MADMAN 

IT  was  the  next  day,  with  Tommy  by  the  hand,  that 
Diantha  made  it  convenient  to  meet  Lockwood  on 
the  stairs. 

"  Oh,  won't  you  take  us  to  the  field  to  see  the  calves," 
she  said.  "  Ever  since  the  bull  tossed  Tommy's  dog  he's 
afraid  to  go,  and  so  am  I  without  someone  to  protect 
me." 

Barry  looked  nonplussed. 

"  You'd  really  like  me  to  take  you  to  see  the  calves  ?  " 

"If  you  will  be  so  kind !  "  She  was  shivering  at  con- 
tact with  him  but  steadied  herself  to  bear  looking  into 
his  small  black  eyes  and  enduring  his  glance  in  return. 

As  they  left  the  front  of  the  tavern  and  went  down 
the  road,  the  child  put  one  chubby  hand  into  Lockwood's 
on  the  one  side  and  into  Diantha's  on  the  other,  in  that 
confiding  way  which  is  so  delightfully  irresistible  in  the 
young  of  the  human  species. 

"  Tommy  seems  very  fond  of  you,  Mr.  Lockwood," 
she  said  pleasantly.  "  They  say  that  any  man  who 
attracts  children  must  have  a  good  spot  in  his  heart, 
however  he  may  appear  to  others." 

Lockwood  gave  a  scornful  laugh  at  that  remark. 
"  Oh,  I  don't  take  any  stock  in  that  kind  of  talk !  " 

92 


DEALING  WITH  A  MADMAN  93 

Neither  did  Diantha.  She  knew  Tommy  would  walk 
off  with  a  thug  for  a  peppermint-drop.  But  it  made  a 
beginning. 

Diantha  could  feel  the  man's  eyes  fixed  on  her  face 
and  at  last  he  spoke.  "  Say  —  what  are  you  after, 
Miss  March?" 

She  tried  but  could  not  think  what  to  reply. 

"  I  know  there  is  no  love  lost  between  us,  and  if  you 
have  any  notion  of  making  up  to  me  at  the  eleventh 
hour  —  I  want  you  to  understand  it  is  too  late." 

"  I  am  only  going  to  ask  you  for  your  friendship,  Mr. 
Lockwood,"  said  Diantha,  bravely,  "  I  am  going  to  con- 
fide to  you  something  no  one  else  knows.  I  am  going 
back  to  New  York  —  I  didn't  come  to  stay  —  but  if 
only  you  would  —  let  me  have  your  friendship  till  I 
go  —  I  should  be  very  grateful.  I  am  sure  you  can  be 
very  pleasant  when  you  want  to  be  —  judging  by 
Tommy's  affection  for  you  —  and  it  would  be  such  a 
relief  for  the  little  time  more  I  am  going  to  stay.  If 
we  could  be  friends  —  till  then." 

Her  voice  died  away.  It  was  not  easy  to  talk  to  a 
madman.  Nevertheless  she  held  out  her  hand  to  the  un- 
pleasant man  before  her,  as  one  would  act  a  part  and  act 
it  well  while  about  it  in  the  determination  to  avert  a 
tragedy,  even  at  the  sacrifice  of  one's  own  feeling  in  the 
matter. 

Lockwood  made  no  attempt  to  conceal  the  fact  that 
he  was  pleased  with  her  confidence.  He  gave  her  a 
more  softened  glance,  took  her  hand  and  held  it  longer 
than  was  necessary.  She  could  have  shuddered  at  the 
contact,  she  loathed  him  so,  but  she  took  comfort  in  the 


94  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

fact  that  she  had  on  her  gloves,  which  she  hoped  took 
off  some  of  the  curse. 

"  When  do  you  go  ? "  He  tried  not  to  be  too  eager, 
yet  it  was  plain  enough  that  the  sooner  the  better  it 
would  be  for  him. 

"  It  is  not  settled  yet.  I  came  out  here  partly  for  my 
health;  I  should  like  a  few  more  weeks." 

He  was  wary,  yet  he  seemed  relieved.  As  the  three 
of  them  walked  back  to  the  tavern  he  assumed  a  more 
polite  manner  toward  Diantha.  But  she  knew  him 
for  a  cad  at  heart,  for  when  they  reached  the  door, 
where  a  group  of  men  were  standing,  he  did  not  leave 
her  to  herself,  as  a  generous  foe  would  have  done,  but 
became  loud  and  noisy  in  his  attempt  to  blazon  to  all 
their  small  world  that  they  two  were  now  cheek-by- 
jowl,  even  after  all  the  evil  he  had  said  of  her. 

She  realized  then  that  he  was  going  to  punish  her  for 
every  hour  of  that  effort  of  hers  to  obtain  respite  from 
the  slanders  of  his  evil  tongue.  This  was  the  moment 
when  she  weakened.  It  was  a  big  price  to  pay. 

She  felt  exceedingly  small  and  humbled  as  she  went 
to  her  usual  place  on  the  veranda.  There  was  John 
Quincy,  with  a  visible  interrogation  on  his  face.  Har- 
ris, too,  seemed  reproachful  as  he  beheld  her  and  Barry 
Lockwood  together.  Making  up  with  the  enemy  is  a 
doubtful  thing  to  do  under  all  circumstances.  However, 
he  made  an  effort  and  gave  Barry  a  chair  in  their  midst, 
Barry  who  had  been  tabooed  tacitly  by  them  all  for  the 
week  past,  in  resentment  against  him  for  his  slanders 
upon  the  name  of  Miss  March. 


DEALING  WITH  A  MADMAN  05 

It  took  a  tremendous  courage  to  bear  that  moment. 
However,  Diantha  remembered  what  she  was  doing  it  all 
for  —  to  save  Caspar  from  killing  or  being  killed  —  and 
also  to  keep  her  safe  from  being  robbed. 

It  was  well  she  thought  of  him  before  she  met  his 
gaze;  for  her  heart  almost  failed  her  as  his  dark-blue 
eyes  met  hers.  She  did  not  blame  him  for  being  chilled 
at  sight  of  her  in  such  apparent  good-fellowship  with 
that  wretch.  She  would  not  have  had  him  be  otherwise. 
He  did  not  even  nod  to  her.  She  was  beneath  his 
contempt.  She  could  feel  his  scorn  filling  all  the  air 
as  one  does  the  coming  of  an  iceberg. 

She  did  not  sit  crushed  and  silent  under  all  this  dis- 
approval, however.  She  was  the  gayest  of  the  gay  with 
a  merry  bit  of  chaff  for  each  one.  On  the  porch,  amid 
the  group,  she  perceived  a  strange  yearning  look  in  the 
eyes  of  some  one  to  whom  she  had  never  yet  spoken, 
although  she  had  noticed  him  on  the  day  of  her  arrival 
in  the  midst  of  the  mobbing  of  the  coach.  It  was  Wat- 
son, of  the  fever-bright  eyes,  the  shadowy  bookkeeper 
whose  life  had  been  ruined  by  Lockwood. 

Diantha  liked  Mrs.  Watson  and  knew  she  was  taking 
in  sewing  to  support  them  both  since  the  losing  of  his 
place;  a  frail  little  woman  with  only  a  strong  spirit  to 
help  her  bear  the  burdens  thrust  upon  her. 

Diantha  leaned  over  to  him,  where  he  was  hiding  in 
the  background,  and  said  pleasantly,  "  How  is  your  wife, 
this  evening,  Mr.  Watson  ?  " 

Everyone  seemed  surprised  and  Lockwood  was  dis- 
tinctly annoyed  to  have  this  pariah  brought  into  the  con- 


96       THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

versation.  Watson  himself  seemed  alarmed  to  be  so 
boldly  addressed.  However,  he  made  reply  in  a  sub- 
dued voice  that  she  was  feeling  better. 

Diantha  felt  a  deep  sympathy  with  this  crushed  being, 
she  knew  he  was  suffering  for  the  sins  of  some  one  else 
than  himself.  Maybe  he  had  been  honest  enough  but 
not  clever  enough  to  escape  Lockwood's  deviltries  ?  She 
conceived  a  desire  to  make  Lockwood  recognize  the 
existence  of  Watson  then  and  there.  Why  not? 

"  By  the  way,"  said  she  deliberately,  "  the  new  num- 
ber of  the  fashion  magazine  has  come  and  it  gives  some 
patterns  for  making  paper-flowers.  Maybe  Mrs.  Wat- 
son might  make  us  some  for  the  children's  festival. 
Mr.  Lockwood,  will  you  kindly  get  the  book  from  the 
table  in  the  parlor  and  give  it  to  Mr.  Watson,  you  have 
no  idea  how  pretty  those  flowers  can  be  made." 

She  had  the  pleasure  of  seeing  this  done  before  ev- 
eryone. As  she  beheld  Watson  going  home,  she  pitied 
him  from  the  bottom  of  her  heart.  Who  could  know 
so  well  as  she  what  he  had  been  compelled  to  endure? 
But  she  was  a  Public  Chartered  Accountant  and  she 
had  to  be  clever  as  well  as  honest,  even  though  it  cost 
her  the  dearest  thing  she  had  in  the  world. 

She  could  not  resist  giving  one  glance  toward  Caspar. 
In  his  self-contained  wrath,  he  had  taken  on  a  fineness 
of  feature  and  alabaster  tint  of  color  that  made  him  very 
handsome.  He  seemed  removed  from  her  a  distance 
greater  than  between  her  and  the  stars  shining  in  the 
blue  above. 

During  the  next  ten  days  that  followed,  Diantha  was 
almost  distracted  with  the  role  she  had  elected  to  play 


DEALING  WITH  A  MADMAN  97 

to  save  bloodshed  and  also  tampering  with  her  safe. 
Would  Burns  never  come?  At  last  there  came  a  tele- 
gram for  Harris,  who  was  now  about  with  only  one 
crutch. 

"  Coming  on  stage  to-night,"  said  he  to  her  quietly. 

Diantha  took  her  place  on  the  porch  to  watch  for  the 
stage,  but  it  was  with  suppressed  excitement;  for  Lock- 
wood  was  close  by  her  side.  From  the  seat  by  the  stage- 
driver  someone  descended,  a  tall  man  with  a  dark  beard 
well  trimmed,  and  he  and  Harris  were  shaking  hands 
warmly. 

Diantha  was  disappointed.  It  was  not  Burns  at  all. 
Who  could  it  be?  As  she  gazed  on  the  newcomer  she 
became  puzzled. 

Lockwood  rose  and  gripped  his  hands  fiercely.  "  It's 
someone  from  the  Company,  by  all  that's  —  I'll  be 
damned,"  he  muttered  and  then  he  turned  on  the  girl 
suspiciously.  "  Own  up,  now !  What  do  you  know 
about  this  ?  " 

She  met  his  gaze  calmly.  "  They  have  been  talking 
about  putting  in  an  electrical  plant  —  and  I  suppose 
they've  sent  some  one  out  to  see  how  much  it  '11  cost." 

He  turned  on  his  poor  shadow  savagely,  "  Get  out 
of  here,  Watson.  What  do  you  mean  hanging  around? 
Don't  you  understand?  It's  one  of  the  Company  from 
New  York  City." 

An  ashen  hue  spread  over  the  face  of  poor  Watson 
and  he  seemed  to  shrink  to  less  than  the  stature  of  a 
man  as  he  passed  from  sight. 

Diantha  was  watching  the  scene  below,  gazing  fasci- 
natedly on  the  newly  arrived  stranger  in  whom  there  was 


98  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

something  familiar  and  a  delightful  suspicion  was  be- 
ginning to  overwhelm  her.  Not  until  the  new  arrival 
had  turned  his  back,  however,  did  she  feel  sure  that  it 
was  really  and  truly  "  Everybody's  Friend,"  fine  and 
splendid  Mr.  Everton,  himself,  who  had  come  out  here 
in  answer  to  the  entreaties  of  herself  and  Harris.  Yet 
how?  and  why?  He  who  could  not  bear  to  leave  the 
city !  What  a  tremendous  surprise  it  was,  yet  she  had  to 
pretend  it  was  all  nothing  and  control  her  feelings,  be- 
cause Lockwood  was  there  by  her  side. 

Finally  Mr.  Harris  appeared  bringing  Mr.  Everton 
to  see  the  splendid  view  from  the  veranda,  and  incident- 
ally to  introduce  Lockwood. 

Turning  to  Diantha  he  said,  "  Mr.  Everton,  you  have 
probably  met  our  bookkeeper,  Miss  March." 

Everton  bowed  politely  and  said,  "  Yes,  Miss  March  is 
well  known  to  our  firm  as  one  of  the  finest  bookkeepers 
in  New  York  City." 

Mrs.  Mackintosh  then  appeared  to  say  that  dinner  was 
ready,  and  they  went  within,  leaving  Diantha  there  with 
Lockwood,  who  was  craftily  listening  to  every  word  and 
weighing  it. 

"  Mr.  Harris  is  hoping  they  will  make  the  change  to 
electricity  so  that  Caspar  will  be  benefited,  he  has  been 
studying  it  for  some  time,"  said  the  girl. 

Lockwood  tried  to  control  himself  and  then  he  gave 
way  to  an  outburst  of  fury.  "  If  you  have  had  any  hand 
in  this,  my  lady,  I'll  pay  you  for  it ! " 

Then  he  pretended  he  had  a  headache  that  was  driv- 
ing him  mad  and  that  he  was  not  responsible  for  what 
he  was  saying.  He  began  asking  her  questions  as  to 


DEALING  WITH  A  MADMAN  99 

how  long  she  had  known  Everton  and  if  she  had  any 
influence  with  him. 

"  You  want  my  friendship,  Miss  March,"  he  said  to 
her  finally,  "  now  you  will  have  to  pay  for  it.  You  have 
got  to  give  me  something  in  return." 

"  '  In  return  ?  '  "  she  repeated  slowly. 

"  Yes,  you  don't  want  me  to  insult  Caspar  about  you 
for  fear  he  will  give  me  that  sledge-hammer  blow  of 
his,  and  then  I'll  shoot  him  down  like  a  dog  —  justifiable 
homicide  —  no  law'd  touch  me  for  that!  Now,  I'm  no 
fool!  That's  why  you  want  to  be  friends.  But  things 
are  not  going  to  please  me  just  now ;  I  don't  know 
whether  it  is  your  doing  or  not.  But  you  have  got  to 
pay  me,  you  have  got  to  give  me  something  in  return 
for  my  friendship." 

Diantha  was  very  pale.  She  felt  a  chill  go  through 
her.  "  What  —  do  —  you  ask  ?  " 

He  looked  at  her  intently  for  a  long  moment.  "  Your 
silence,"  he  said  hoarsely. 

"  Very  well,"  she  made  reply. 

He  leaned  forward.  "  Do  you  mean  it,  or  are  you 
going  to  play  me  false  ?  " 

"  I  mean  it,"  she  said. 

"  How  can  I  know  that  ?  How  can  I  know  you  won't 
tell  Everton  every  damned  thing  that  has  happened  since 
you  came  to  Boulder?  Or  maybe  you've  already  told 
him  ? "  He  was  watching  her  like  a  snake. 

"  No,  I  have  not  yet  told  him,  nor  will  I  tell  him," 
Diantha  said,  and  her  heart  was  beating  so  she  could 
hardly  speak. 

"  You're   so   damned   clever   you'd   deceive   the   devil 


100  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

himself/'  he  responded.  "  Hold  up  your  right  hand." 
She  held  it  up.  "  You  promise  on  your  honor  to  keep 
silent  in  return  for  my  friendship." 

"  I  promise  on  my  honor,"  she  said  slowly. 

He  looked  at  her  steadily.  "  There's  something  about 
you,  I  don't  know  what  it  is,  but  I  believe  you."  He 
arose  and  went  his  way  leaving  her  there  very  white 
and  distressed. 


CHAPTER  XIV 


OHE  gave  a  sigh  of  relief  at  last  to  be  rid  of  the 
^  man's  presence.  And  strangely  enough  she  heard 
an  echo  to  her  sigh.  She  turned  and  saw  it  was  Wat- 
son. That  he  was  miserable  was  painted  upon  him  with 
something  stronger  than  pigments.  She  saw  that  he 
was  anxious  to  tell  her  something  but  that  speech  was 
impossible ;  for  his  ringer  was  on  his  lip  as  he  pantomimed 
to  her. 

Then  she  saw  he  was  using  his  fingers  as  children  do 
at  school  to  spell  a  message  from  one  to  the  other  in 
a  dumb  sort  of  alphabet.  She  watched  him  intently  and 
this  was  the  legend  he  was  trying  to  convey  to  her  under- 
standing speechlessly.  "  Barry  has  a  wife  and  children." 

She  understood  at  once.  The  poor  man  thought  she 
was  becoming  interested  in  Lockwood  as  a  sweetheart, 
and  at  any  cost  to  himself,  was  resolved  to  save  her  from 
the  misfortune  and  disgrace  of  being  in  love  with  a 
married  man.  She  realized  this  was  done  in  gratitude 
for  her  interest  in  his  wife  and  felt  touched  by  this  lit- 
tle effort  on  his  part  to  save  her  in  spite  of  Lockwood's 
power  over  him.  Some  way  it  cheered  her  up  and  gave 
her  new  courage.  As  John  Quincy  came  and  sat  by  her 
side,  she  tried  to  be  pleasant  and  forget  for  the  moment 
all  the  painful  things  that  oppressed  her.  Mr.  Everton 

101 


102  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

was  near  at  hand  and  she  felt  sure  he  would  bring  order 
out  of  chaos. 

She  became  aware,  however,  that  it  was  John  who 
was  serious  this  time. 

"  Since  you  broke  with  Caspar,  Miss  March,  there  is 
nobody  to  protect  you,"  said  he  hurriedly,  "and  I'm 
going  to  do  it,  from  this  time  on  if  you  will  give  me  the 
right." 

She  pretended  to  be  amused  that  it  should  be  thought 
necessary  to  have  protection.  He  assured  her  that  she 
was  a  very  foolish  girl  and  that  she  needed  some  man 
to  do  it  for  her  as  she  did  not  know  how  to  take  care  of 
herself.  She  tried  to  get  him  off  the  subject  by  asking 
him  how  old  he  was. 

"  I  shall  be  twenty-one  next  month,"  he  replied  with 
dignity. 

She  looked  at  him  intently,  his  mournful  brown  eyes 
and  golden-tinted  hair  and  beard  with  a  long  moustache, 
so  big  and  handsome,  like  an  ancient  Viking,  and  yet 
only  a  boy  after  all.  She  thought  it  no  wonder  she  had 
always  been  amused  by  him. 

"  There  is  no  reason  why  you  can't  marry  me  and 
next  week  we'll  go  back  to  dear  old  New  York.  I  know 
father  would  be  pleased  to  see  me  bring  home  a  wife 
like  you." 

"  Your  father  ? "  she  repeated  with  a  frigid  air, 
"  What  ?  Colonel  Quincy !  " 

"  I  know  I've  made  a  fool  of  myself  but  I  can  im- 
prove, for  I  can't  help  loving  you.  A  man  would  do 
almost  anything  to  win  a  girl -like  you,  so  sensible,  so 
good  and  so  beautiful." 


DIANTHA'S  RIDDLE  103 

These  were  the  words  that  Caspar  had  used  and  when 
she  thought  how  far  he  was  removed  from  her  now,  it 
seemed  like  a  mockery.  She  became  so  unstrung  that 
she  began  to  weep,  silently  but  none  the  less  with  tears 
running  down  her  cheeks.  Poor  John  could  not  make 
it  out  but  tried  to  comfort  her  by  begging  her  to  confide 
in  him. 

"  You  must  have  faith  in  me,"  she  said  finally,  "  even 
if  I  do  appear  to  be  friendly  with  Mr.  Lockwood.  I 
have  a  good  reason  for  it,  as  you  will  see  in  good  time. 
And  you  can  tell  Caspar  that,  if  you  want  to,"  she  added 
soberly. 

"  Cheer  up,"  said  John,  "  Harris  is  coming  and  bring- 
ing Mr.  Everton  out  to  see  the  last  of  the  sunset  and  I 
guess  I'll  go.  I  don't  see  much  to  live  for  now."  And 
he  gave  a  great  sigh  as  he  turned  away. 

Diantha  pulled  herself  together.  The  whole  world 
seemed  at  cross-purposes  but  she  would  have  to  keep 
silence  no  matter  what  happened.  That  compact  held 
her  fast  like  bars  of  steel. 

She  tried  to  smile  as  Everton  and  Harris  appeared  and 
began  to  talk  eagerly  about  the  beauty  of  the  scenes  thus 
spread  before  them  night  after  night  and  told  how  far 
away  splendid  Shasta  was  and  all  about  the  peak  nearer 
at  hand,  and  then  confessed  how  she  had  tried  to  climb  it 
and  had  failed. 

"  It  is  the  time  for  our  annual  picnic  to  the  Twin 
Lakes,"  said  Harris,  "  which  takes  us  to  the  foot  of  the 
mountain,  and  then  it  is  very  easy  to  go  to  the  top.  We 
might  hurry  it  for  you,  Mr.  Everton." 

"  That  would  be  fine,"  he  exclaimed. 


104  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

"  But  you  don't  care  for  mountains  ? "  Diantha  re- 
marked. 

"  I'm  not  so  sure  but  that  I  do  since  coming  here,"  he 
responded  with  a  bright  look  in  his  eyes.  He  still  was 
strange  to  her,  like  another  man. 

When  Harris  left  them,  Everton  gave  her  a  quick  look. 
"  Well,"  he  said  discontentedly,  "  I  suppose  you  think 
you  have  found  your  elemental  man  in  that  long-legged, 
gander-heels  of  a  John  Quincy?  " 

"  Not  at  all ! "  she  cried  in  dismay.  "  Not  he !  not 
that  baby-boy  that  believes  in  sea-serpents  and  ghosts 
and  can't  earn  a  dollar  to  save  his  life." 

Everton's  countenance  took  on  a  severe  cast.  "  To 
tell  the  truth,"  he  said  disapprovingly,  "  I  was  hoping 
it  was  the  tall  fellow,  but  there  is  no  accounting  for 
tastes  so  I  suppose  it  was  the  other  one  that  was  sitting 
here  when  I  first  came." 

"Not  at  all,"  she  said  offended,  "that  was  your 
crooked  stick,  Mr.  Lockwood,  a  man  with  wife  and 
children,  and  a  degenerate." 

There  swept  across  his  face  doubt,  amazement  and  re- 
lief, in  quick  succession.  Then  he  spoke  with  a  touch 
of  raillery.  "  Oh !  so  there  is  —  a  third  ?  " 

Diantha  hung  her  head  abashed.  "There  was,"  she 
stammered,  "  but  there  is  —  not  —  now." 

Harris  was  returning  and  with  him  was  Caspar, 
brought  to  meet  Everton  and  have  a  talk  with  him  about 
the  proposed  changes  to  be  made  in  the  installing  of  an 
electrical  plant  to  take  the  place  of  steam. 

Diantha  started  to  go  within  but  Everton  bade  her  wait 
a  moment. 


DIANTHA'S  RIDDLE  105 

So  she  did  as  she  was  bid  and  it  was  not  hard;  for 
she  looked  at  the  stars  coming  out,  and  listened  to 
Caspar's  voice,  which  was  like  music  to  her  ears.  Once 
in  a  while  she  would  take  a  glance  at  his  profile  and  think 
of  that  night  when  he  had  carried  her  across  the  river 
and  her  arm  was  about  his  neck.  And  then  she  remem- 
bered how  perilously  near  she  had  come  to  kissing  him, 
out  of  her  gratitude,  and  she  wondered  what  would  have 
happened  if  she  had  done  such  a  thing.  Doubtless  he 
would  have  dropped  her  into  the  river  at  such  an  in- 
dignity as  that,  and  her  imagination  having  run  away 
with  her,  she  laughed  out  loud  in  a  kind  of  smothered 
chuckle. 

"  What's  the  joke?  "  asked  Stanley  Everton  pleasantly, 
turning  to  her  in  half  surprise. 

"  Oh,  nothing,"  she  returned,  "  only  you  two  amuse 
me,  with  all  your  mighty  dynamos  to  get  into  trouble 
with." 

It  was  a  nonsensical  answer,  but  it  gave  her  a  chance 
to  include  Caspar.  Presently  with  a  stiff  inclination  of 
his  head  to  her,  and  a  cordial  good-night  to  Everton, 
Caspar  departed. 

"  I  congratulate  you,"  said  Everton.  She  assured  him 
there  was  nothing  to  congratulate  her  on,  but  he  per- 
sisted. "  I  like  him  much  better  than  I  could  have 
thought  possible,"  he  said.  She  pretended  to  misunder- 
stand him  and  said,  "  Mr.  Harris  is  a  very  nice  man." 

"  But  I  have  reference  to  the  third  one,"  said  Stanley 
significantly. 

"  How  can  you  be  so  absurd,"  she  cried,  "  there  isn't 
any  third,  nor  second  nor  first  when  it  comes  to  that." 


106  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

"  Diantha,"  he  said,  and  his  voice  trembled  a  little, 
"  it  is  in  the  very  air.  He  is  a  manly  fellow,  and  I 
admit  that  I  like  him."  He  waited  for  her  to  speak,  but 
she  was  thinking  that  Caspar  might  have  had  a  little  faith 
in  her.  That  was  the  true  test  of  love  after  all. 

"  Diantha,"  and  he  spoke  it  in  such  a  gentle  tone  that 
she  was  touched  to  the  heart,  "  you  were  very  happy  — 
so  happy  that  I  could  feel  it  in  the  air  hurtling  around  me 
just  as  if  it  were  full  of  invisible  arrows  —  there  was 
something  in  your  laughter,  childishly  sweet ;  I  know  all 
about  it,  I  have  been  there."  He  stopped,  he  was  think- 
ing of  the  apple  blossoms  of  his  boyhood. 

Diantha  was  amazed.  "  You  ?  "  she  cried,  "  you  could 
feel  all  that,  you,  who  cherish  no  more  illusions  ?  " 

He  lifted  his  hand  in  mute  protest.  "  That  was 
months  ago,  things  are  different  now."  He  seemed  con- 
fused. Then  he  began  afresh  and  wanted  to  know  what 
was  the  matter  with  things  at  the  office,  that  he  had  come 
out  himself  to  see  that  things  were  made  straight. 

"  Do  you  know,  Diantha,"  he  added,  "  you  look  to  me  as 
if  you  had  suffered.  Now  what  is  the  matter?" 

Diantha  heard  a  faint  dry  cough  as  if  in  warning. 
Who  could  it  be  but  Watson  who  was  keeping  watch 
for  his  master?  She  felt  that  he  wanted  her  to  know 
that  the  less  he  heard  the  less  he  would  have  to  report. 

She  put  her  finger  to  her  lip,  and  pantomimed  that  she 
was  not  at  liberty  to  speak.  He  seemed  puzzled.  "  Can't 
you  give  me  an  inkling  ?  "  he  said,  "  I  am  a  pretty  good 
guesser,  sometimes." 

Diantha  looked  at  him  intently,  in  her  mind  paraphras- 


DIANTHA'S  RIDDLE  107 

ing  a  verse  that  seemed  to  fit  the  case.     "  I  can  give 
you  a  riddle,"  she  said. 

"Riddle  me,  riddle  me  right, 
Who  slew  my  love  last  Saturday  night? 
'Twas  only  a  word  that  flew  like  a  bird, 
From  North  to  South  in  every  one's  mouth, 
But  that  slew  my  love." 

It  was  the  moment  for  Mrs.  Mackintosh  to  appear 
on  the  veranda,  as  by  arrangement  with  Diantha,  and 
she  began  talking  about  the  two-day  picnic  to  Granite 
Mountain  as  suggested  by  Mr.  Harris.  After  some  lit- 
tle planning  it  was  decided  to  go  on  the  following  Friday 
and  to  return  on  Sunday. 

As  they  were  about  to  go  within,  Everton  asked 
Diantha  to  repeat  that  riddle  for  his  benefit.  After  she 
had  done  so,  she  said  in  mock-gaiety,  "  Now,  do  you 
think  you  can  make  that  out  ?  " 

"  Give  me  twenty- four  hours,"  he  said,  and  then  he 
looked  into  her  eyes  with  a  strange  sad  look  she  had 
never  beheld  there  before. 


CHAPTER  XV 

THE   RIGHTS   OF   A   BABE 

TV/TRS.  MACKINTOSH'S  brown  eyes  were  fixed  on 
«***-*•  Diantha  in  deep  scrutiny.  "  You're  a  lucky  girl," 
she  remarked. 

"  Why  so  ? "  replied  Diantha,  taking  her  copper- 
bright  hair  down  and  shaking  it  out  over  her  shoulders 
like  a  Brunehilde,  trying  to  cover  up  her  feelings. 

"  I  am  jealous  for  Caspar,"  she  said,  loyally,  "  he  has 
no  chance  with  a  fine  man  like  that  Mr.  Everton." 

Diantha  made  no  response.  What  was  the  use  ?  The 
warm-hearted  woman  went  on  to  say  she  could  see 
he  was  in  love  with  her,  and  she  as  cold  as  ice,  as  if 
she  didn't  know.  "  It's  no  machinery  he's  after,"  she 
announced,  "it's  just  plain;  no,  not  plain,  but  hand- 
some Miss  March  he's  after.  Whatever  brought  you 
out  here  to  this  God- forsaken  place  where  there  isn't  even 
a  church,  when  you  can  have  a  fine  gentleman  like  that 
for  the  taking?" 

Diantha's  old  grievance  against  Everton  came  back  to 
her  poignantly. 

She  was  angered  at  all  this  praise  showered  on  him. 
She  burst  out  with  her  conception  of  him  as  a  city-man, 
preserved  but  not  alive,  not  fond  of  nature  nor  the 
things  she  adored.  "  You  don't  need  to  be  jealous  for 

108 


THE  RIGHTS  OF  A  BABE  109 

Caspar,"  she  cried,  "  there  is  no  one  like  him  in  the 
whole  world." 

"  You  poor  dear,"  said  Mrs.  Mackintosh,  sympathetic- 
ally, for  Diantha  could  not  hold  out  any  longer,  and  had 
buried  her  head  in  her  arm  on  the  bureau  on  top  of  the 
pin-cushion,  regardless  of  the  needles  and  pins.  "  I  see 
that  you  are  on  speaking  terms  with  Barry,"  she  con- 
tinued. "  Under  the  circumstances  I  don't  see  how  you 
could  do  anything  else  as  it  may  shut  up  his  foul  mouth." 

But  the  words  were  smothered;  for  Diantha  had 
sprung  up  and  put  her  arms  around  the  good  woman's 
neck,  bare  as  they  were,  and  she  hung  on -tight  till  she 
had  nearly  cut  off  her  breath.  "  There !  there !  at  last 
there  is  someone  who  understands,"  she  cried  in  joyful 
sobs.  "  Thank  God  there  is  a  woman  in  camp  after 
my  own  heart.  I  shall  always  love  you,  Mrs.  Mackin- 
tosh, for  those  words !  Ellen !  I  shall  call  you  Ellen  from 
this  time  on  and  you  shall  call  me  Diantha." 

"  Of  course  I  understood,"  she  said,  getting  her  breath 
back  again. 

"  You've  a  strong  grip,  Miss  Mar — ."  Diantha  gave 
her  a  little  shake  to  remind  her  that  they  were  near  and 
dear  friends  now  and  amid  her  laughing  she  said, 
"  Diantha  ?  —  it's  a  pretty  name,  well  suited  to  you  —  but 
these  white  arms  were  meant  to  carry  a  sweet  baby,  my 
dear,  and  not  those  old  books  of  yours.  What  a  fine  son 
you  would  be  having,  the  pride  of  your  old  age,  some 
day,  as  I  am  hoping  Tommy  will  be  to  me." 

At  this  Diantha's  tears  were  left  to  dry  on  her  cheek 
as  she  gazed  into  the  warm  brown  eyes  of  her  new- 


110  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

found  friend.  "  Motherhood  is  a  very  serious  thing," 
she  said,  thinking  of  Ellen's  ignorance  of  her  own  child. 
"Of  course  we  women  all  are  harboring  the  sacred  idea 
of  receiving  a  man-child  from  the  Lord  as  the  greatest 
joy  of  life.  But  don't  you  see,  Ellen,  we  must  not 
leave  anything  to  chance;  we  must  be  intelligent,  we 
must  choose  what  —  what  kind  of  a  child  we  will  have." 

"Choose?"  repeated  Ellen  a  little  troubled. 

"  Yes,  it  lies  with  us  women  to  make  a  new  breed  in 
the  world  if  we  so  choose."  Diantha's  eyes  were  shining 
with  a  holy  light.  "  First,  there  is  necessary  a  good 
heredity,  and  second,  a  good  environment.  One  without 
the  other  will  be  of  no  avail;  indeed  the  good  environ- 
ment is  almost  the  more  necessary  of  the  two.  If  a 
child  is  in  the  midst  of  lying,  swearing  and  cheating,  how 
can  it  escape  the  contagion  ? " 

"  You  mean  that  this  is  not  a  good  place  for  Tommy," 
said  the  mother,  anxiously. 

Diantha  thought  of  the  bribes .  that  were  being  of- 
fered to  the  child  hourly,  by  the  irresponsible  men  of  the 
place,  as  well  as  the  noxious  influence  of  the  example 
set  by  them  upon  a  tender  mind. 

"  When  a  babe  comes  to  earth,"  she  said  slowly,  "  it 
is  entitled  to  an  innocent  childhood,  companioned  by  pup- 
pies and  kittens  and  calves  and  lambs,  free  from  stress, 
free  from  the  knowledge  of  wars,  free  from  the  knowl- 
edge of  evil.  Else  the  poor  babe  has  missed  the  only 
garden  of  Eden  that  earth  has  to  give." 

Ellen  was  gazing  into  her  eyes  steadily.  "  While  all 
that  is  very  true,"  she  replied,  "  yet  there  is  a  worse 
evil  than  that.  You  say  it  lies  with  us  women  to  make 


THE  RIGHTS  OF  A  BABE  111 

a  new  breed  in  the  world  if  we  will.  But  you  have  for- 
gotten all  about  the  supreme  importance  of  the  mother's 
environment,  as  you  call  it,  before  the  poor  babe  comes 
to  earth.  She  should  be  free  from  stress,  free  from 
knowledge  of  wars,  free  from  knowledge  of  evil." 

"  Ellen,  you  frighten  me,"  murmured  Diantha.  She 
could  feel  that  a  great  impulse  of  emotion  was  behind 
her  words. 

"  It  is  my  secret,"  said  Ellen,  her  bosom  heaving,  "  I 
have  never  told  it  to  a  living  soul."  And  then  hurriedly 
she  revealed  the  tale  of  how  she  had  married  late  in 
life,  how  her  husband,  Captain  Mackintosh,  had  looked 
upon  the  house  as  he  did  upon  a  ship,  a  place  to  tyran- 
nize over  from  morn  till  night,  how  he  had  tried  to 
crush  her  will,  how  he  had  even  used  violence  to  her 
to  make  her  yield,  but  for  the  sake  of  the  child  that  was 
coming  she  had  dared  him  to  do  his  worst,  saying  she 
would  rather  die  than  to  be  the  mother  of  a  coward. 
"  That's  the  way  cowards  are  made,"  she  said  at  the  end. 

Diantha  sat  there  white  with  horror.  "  You  could 
not  have  been  sorry  when  he  went  ?  " 

"  It  was  a  liberation !  "  said  Ellen.  "  So  you  see  that 
when  a  babe  comes  to  earth,  as  you  put  it,  its  first  right 
is  a  mother  who  shall  be  kept  free  from  stress  and  evil. 
That  is  the  best  heredity  that  can  be  given  a  child,  a 
free  mother.  For  God  sends  the  new  little  soul  to  her 
keeping,  and  it  is  she,  not  the  father,  who  decides  what 
the  child  shall  be." 

"  I  never  thought  of  that  before,"  said  Diantha. 

"  Pampered  women  make  degenerate  children,  starved 
women  make  wolfish  children,"  said  Ellen,  "  that  is  why 


112  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

we  get  our  great  men  from  the  respectable  middle  class, 
the  world  over.  The  race-suicide  they  are  talking  about 
is  a  virtue  compared  with  producing  a  bad  race  composed 
of  degenerates  and  anarchists."  Her  brown  eyes  were 
gleaming  with  the  emotions  stirred  in  her  by  memory. 

Diantha  was  thinking  fast  and  furiously.  Her  ideas 
had  never  carried  her  so  far  as  this.  Out  of  it  all  she 
came  with  a  new  thought.  "  Then,  Ellen/5  she  said,  "  it 
is  the  environment  of  the  mother  before  the  birth  of  the 
babe  that  counts  more  than  anything  else  ?  " 

"  Yes,  my  dear,  and  that  is  why  I  am  sorry  to  see 
you  keeping  these  old  books  and  righting  with  men  like 
Barry  Lockwood,  who  is  a  bad-hearted  man  and  wouldn't 
hesitate  to  knock  you  down  if  you  got  in  his  way,  all 
for  the  sake  of  that  poor  babe  that  some  day  will  be 
coming  to  find  shelter  in  your  arms." 

The  rights  of  a  babe !  Had  she  not  understood  them 
then,  all  this  time? 

Diantha  forgot  all  about  Ellen's  ignorance  of  her  own 
child  and  began  to  think  of  her  own  shortcomings.  "  I 
never  thought  of  that  before  either,"  she  murmured. 

As  they  parted  for  the  night  they  embraced  each 
other  fondly.  "  You  make  me  think  of  the  Alruna 
women  in  the  olden  times  of  the  Kelts,"  said  Diantha. 
"  You  are  so  splendidly  wise !  And  you  do  believe  in 
Caspar,  don't  you  ?  " 

"  He  is  one  in  ten  thousand,"  she  replied,  smiling. 
"  And  that  Mr.  Everton,  he  is  one  in  ten  thousand,  too. 
You  are  a  lucky  girl  either  way." 

But  Diantha  frowned,  for  she  knew  her  heart  was 
hard  against  him. 


CHAPTER  XVI 

DIANTHA   RIDES   BEHIND   CASPAR 

EVERY  year  there  was  a  hegira  of  the  families  of 
Boulder  Camp  to  the  Twin  Lakes.  But  never  was 
there  a  more  glorious  day  than  this  when  Diantha  March 
and  Stanley  Everton,  the  two  New  Yorkers,  went  with 
them  upon  their  joyous  journey.  All  sorts  of  vehicles 
had  been  pressed  into  service  for  the  women  and  children, 
while  the  men  cavorting  on  old  nags  and  serving  as  out- 
riders added  to  the  festivity  of  the  procession. 

How  beautiful  the  alders  and  cedars  and  pines  that 
fringed  the  road  and  filled  the  mountains  with  grace. 
How  delicious  the  air  full  of  pine-breath!  Everton  had 
a  gleam  in  his  eyes  and  a  smile  on  his  lips  for  every- 
thing that  came,  he  was  stirred  to  the  very  heart  of  him 
by  all  these  revelations  of  nature,  human  and  earthly. 
Everybody  was  so  kind  and  so  interested  in  everybody 
else,  and  they  all  united  in  giving  him  such  a  friendly 
regard,  men,  women  and  even  the  little  children,  that  he 
could  feel  his  heart  pounding  against  his  side  as  it  had 
not  done  since  those  early  days  when  he  had  stood 
beneath  the  apple  blossoms  of  early  spring  with  his  first 
love. 

He  had  wakened  as  if  from  a  long  sleep  to  the  beauty 
of  the  earth  once  more  and  to  the  beauty  of  human 
sympathy.  How  little  the  Sunday  School  library  had 

113 


114  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

cost  him!  How  great  was  the  gift  he  had  received  in 
return!  He  had  begun  to  perceive  the  world  through 
Diantha's  eyes;  and  it  was  a  beautiful  world. 

Barry  Lockwood  had  been  hovering  around,  watching 
the  preparations  being  made  for  the  start,  not  quite 
decided  in  his  mind  whether  to  join  the  cavalcade  or  not, 
until  he  saw  Diantha  helping  Miss  Read  find  places  in 
the  wagons  for  the  children,  who  were  carrying  little  flags 
as  befitted  the  gayety  of  the  occasion.  He  looked  at 
her  critically,  and  saw  hanging  upon  her  wrist,  the  little 
black  silk  bag  in  which  she  carried  a  small  memorandum 
book,  the  one  she  consulted  when  she  wished  to  open  the 
safe.  He  had  not  been  watching  her  in  vain.  There 
was  every  reason  to  believe  that  the  number  of  the 
combination  of  the  safe  was  in  that  small  book. 

He  made  an  effort  to  be  less  surly,  to  cover  up  his 
malign  intentions  for  the  moment,  and  put  forth  his 
most  fascinating  manner  as  he  announced  that  he  would 
have  to  join  them  after  all. 

When  he  returned  mounted  on  his  beautiful  sorrel  he 
caught  sight  of  Everton  talking  to  Diantha  March. 
There  was  something  so  remarkable  in  the  expression 
of  interest  on  Everton's  face  that  Lockwood  was  struck 
by  it.  "  I'll  be  damned  if  he  isn't  in  love  with  her,"  he 
ejaculated  under  his  breath.  "All  the  better!  he  may 
not  want  to  marry  her  after  —  but  he  wouldn't  let  her 
be  sent  to  the  state's  prison.  They  don't  send  women 
if  they  can  help  it;  so  nobody'll  be  hurt  much!  And 
this  time,"  he  took  a  full  breath  as  the  old  fierceness  for 
money  came  upon  him  like  a  terrible  appetite,  "  it's  a 


DIANTHA  RIDES  BEHIND  CASPAR  115 

big  haul,  and  she  won't  tell  as  long  as  Caspar  is  in 
danger." 

Lockwood  fell  in  line  beside  the  wagon  where  Diantha 
was  riding,  but  he  was  too  abstracted  to  be  otherwise 
than  moody. 

As  they  all  went  on  their  way,  they  sang  "  America," 
but  Diantha  took  especial  pains  to  explain  to  everybody 
in  her  wagon  that  while  the  rest  of  them  were  saying, 
"  Let  Freedom  Ring,"  she  was  singing,  "  God  save  the 
Queen  " ;  for  she  would  always  be  loyal  to  Canada. 

Everton  smiled  at  her  patriotic  ardor  but  said  little; 
for  he  had  a  surprise  in  store  for  her.  It  was  the  plac- 
ing of  a  flag  upon  the  top  of  the  mountain.  Mrs. 
Mackintosh  knew  all  about  the  enterprise  and  had 
arranged  it  so  that  he  and  John  Quincy  were  to  go  off 
together  secretly  for  that  purpose.  Therefore  when  the 
caravan  arrived  at  the  stopping-place,  after  the  twelve 
miles  of  travel,  they  two  escaped  amid  the  hubbub  and 
confusion,  and  left  the  other  horsemen  to  do  duty. 

The  wagons  could  go  no  further.  Therefore  it  was 
part  of  the  proceedings  for  the  men  each  to  take  one  of 
the  women  or  children  behind  him  on  his  horse,  across 
the  river,  and  over  a  trail,  leading  to  the  beautiful 
sequestered  spot  of  earth,  where  the  Twin  Lakes  lay. 

Diantha  and  Miss  Read,  the  school-teacher,  remained 
to  help  the  children  up,  lifting  them  to  place.  Diantha 
glanced  up  at  Caspar  as  she  gave  Tommy  to  his  care, 
and  placed  a  little  girl  in  front,  but  he  averted  his  eyes 
as  if  he  refused  to  meet  her  gaze  after  her  having  made 
friends  with  her  arch  enemy  and  his.  She  could  not 


116  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

resist  the  temptation  to  speak,  however,  for  she  was 
simply  wild  to  sit  up  there  on  the  back  of  that  horse  of 
his,  in  the  little  boy's  place. 

"  Won't  you  come  back  for  me,"  she  said,  "  I  have 
always  wanted  to  ride  on  that  horse  ?  " 

He  answered  in  such  a  husky  tone  it  was  unintelligible, 
but  she  took  it  for  disapproval  and  looked  after  him  with 
•the  tears  of  disappointment  filling  her  eyes,  and  for- 
getting all  about  the  picnic  and  everything,  until  she  was 
recalled  to  herself  suddenly,  by  the  voice  of  Lockwood, 
asking  her  if  she  was  ready  to  go  over.  To  ride  over 
behind  Lockwood  was  such  a  dread  thought,  she  in- 
vented excuses,  trying  to  get  him  to  take  Mrs.  Watson 
first.  But  he  was  determined,  and  she  saw  she  must  face 
the  ordeal  or  make  a  scene.  What  a  price  to  pay  for  his 
friendship ! 

The  ride  over  the  trail  which  might  have  been  so  de- 
lightful if  she  could  have  gone  with  him  whom  she  loved, 
was  now  converted  into  a  horror.  Unwillingly  she 
stepped  up  to  the  wagon-bed,  as  the  other  women  had  to 
do,  to  get  a  foothold,  and  from  there  climbed  on  to  the 
back  of  the  horse  behind  Lockwood.  She  had  on  her 
gloves,  which  she  wore  all  the  time  now,  and  from  her 
wrist  hung  the  little  black  silk  bag.  How  could  she 
touch  even  the  coat  of  this  man,  gloves  or  not,  with  the 
repugnance  she  felt  for  him. 

"  I  am  doing  it  for  Caspar,"  was  all  she  could  think 
of  in  order  to  nerve  herself  to  the  ordeal. 

Just  then  there  sounded  a  clatter  of  hoofs  and  there 
came  Caspar  urging  his  horse  with  all  speed.  He  drew 
up  suddenly  at  sight  of  her  on  behind  Lockwood,  but 


DIANTHA  RIDES  BEHIND  CASPAR  117 

perceived  how  gingerly  she  was  holding  on  to  the  edge 
of  the  saddle  with  her  finger-tips,  and  also  the  doleful- 
ness  upon  her  face. 

"  You  promised  to  go  with  me,"  he  almost  shouted, 
"  and  I  have  come  back  for  you ;  did  you  think  I  was  not 
coming  ?  "  Everybody  for  a  mile  could  have  heard  that 
clear  clarion. 

"  She  is  going  with  me,"  said  Lockwood,  sullenly. 

Diantha  tried  to  think  what  was  wise,  but  instinctively 
she  found  herself  sliding  down  off  the  horse  and  running 
to  Caspar's  side.  In  a  second  he  stooped,  holding  out  his 
hand  for  a  step  for  her,  and  she  placed  her  foot  on  his 
broad  palm  just  as  she  used  to  do  at  home  when  her 
brother  Dan  took  her  riding,  and  he  threw  her  up  on  the 
horse's  back,  and  at  once  was  up  in  the  saddle  in  front 
of  her.  Away  they  went,  like  young  Lochinvar  and  his 
bride,  Diantha  thought  to  herself. 

She  actually  put  her  arm  about  his  waist  to  hold  her 
on,  for  they  went  so  fast  she  had  to  hang  on  somehow, 
and  she  was  perfectly  happy.  She  knew  then  that  she 
had  no  talent  for  playing  Cleopatra,  not  even  to  save 
Caspar  could  she  do  it.  "  Let  them  shoot  and  kill,"  she 
said  to  herself,  "  if  needs  be,  that  at  least  is  respectable, 
while  my  sacrifice  is  a  thing  that  borders  on  the  indecent, 
and  for  the  sake  of  —  that  little  being  which  some  day 
is  to  come  into  my  arms  —  I  must  keep  myself  free  from 
these  dreadful  things." 

"  Why  didn't  you  wait?  "  asked  Caspar.  "  I  told  you 
I  would  be  only  too  happy." 

"  I  didn't  understand,"  she  murmured. 

"  I  have  an  apology  to  make,"  he  went  on,  and  she 


118  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

listened  attentively.  "  You  see,  I  couldn't  make  you 
out,  Quincy  told  me  that  he  was  sure  you  were  being 
polite  to  Lockwood  because  you  wanted  to  keep  him  from 
fighting  with  me." 

"Isn't  John  the  dearest  fellow  in  the  world?"  she 
cried.  "  To  think  he  could  understand  and  what's  more, 
make  you  understand?" 

Caspar  relapsed  into  silence. 

"  Don't  you  think  it  lovely  that  John  Quincy  should 
have  had  such  faith  in  me  that  he  should  have  been  able 
to  restore  it  in  you  ?  " 

She  had  not  quite  forgiven  him  for  not  having  believed 
in  her.  A  spirit  of  mischief  was  born  of  the  moment. 
"You  weren't  jealous?"  she  asked. 

"  No,  I  couldn't  be  jealous  of  a  brute  like  that,"  he 
replied  sternly,  "  it  was  only  that  I  feared  you  belonged 
to  his  class  after  all." 

"Well,  I  don't!"  she  said,  half  ready  to  cry  with 
wounded  pride,  "  I  simply  loathe  the  beast." 

"  I  should  not  have  dared  to  speak  to  you,  only 
Quincy  said  he  was  sure — " 

"  Yes,  of  course !  he  believes  in  me,  he  has  faith  in 
me,"  she  began,  angered  that  Caspar  should  have  failed 
to  comprehend  her  until  told  by  another. 

"  What  are  we  having  such  a  fuss  about?  "  said  Cas- 
par, suddenly,  looking  over  his  shoulder  at  her,  and  his 
face  was  so  close  to  hers  that  she  forgot  what  she  was 
talking  about. 

"  I  wish  we  could  go  like  this  forever,"  he  said,  look- 
ing straight  into  the  clear  windows  of  her  soul. 

"  So  do  I,"  she  murmured. 


CHAPTER  XVII 

CAMPING  IN   THE  GREENWOOD 

had  arrived  in  the  midst  of  the  camp  and 
Diantha  slipped  to  earth  once  more.  Already  the 
women  were  setting  the  improvised  tables  and  the  men 
were  pulling  a  seine  through  the  river  between  the  lakes 
and  fetching  up  fish  to  be  cooked  for  supper. 

Watson  seemed  less  shadowy  while  at  work  with  the 
seines,  Lockwood  less  prominent.  Everybody  seemed 
happy.  When  Everton  and  John  appeared,  carrying 
guns  and  the  former  holding  forth  a  coyote-skin  as  proof 
of  their  prowess,  Diantha  was  taken  by  surprise.  There 
was  a  bout  at  boxing  attempted  by  the  men  around  the 
camp-fire  for  recreation,  and  amid  exhibitions  of  skill  it 
was  Everton  who  came  out  champion  of  all  those  who 
knew  anything  about  the  manly  art.  They  persisted  in 
Caspar's  trying  on  the  gloves  though  he  had  never  had 
them  on  before,  and  the  men  sat  back  to  enjoy  the  sport. 

"  He  can  lift  twelve  hundred  on  the  lifting  machine," 
said  John,  "  but  I  don't  believe  he  can  get  anywhere 
near  you,  Mr.  Everton." 

While  Caspar  was  laughing  at  the  looks  of  his  big 
wadded  hands,  Everton  gave  him  a  playful  little  tap  on 
the  nose.  At  that  Caspar  made  a  terrific  rush  forward, 
and  hurled  himself  upon  Everton,  pounding  his  fists  up 
and  down,  one  after  the  other,  like  sledge-hammers, 

119 


120  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

raining  the  blows  without  cessation  upon  his  face,  with- 
out skill  or  finesse,  but  so  powerfully  that  Everton  had 
to  back  away  from  the  onslaught,  with  Caspar  following 
him  up  and  never  ceasing  a  moment  till  Everton  called, 
"  Enough." 

Everybody  was  astonished,  but  they  explained  there 
was  no  art  in  that  kind  of  "slugging,"  it  was  just  brute- 
force.  Everton  laughed  and  said,  "  Nobody  could 
have  any  art  when  it  came  to  tackling  the  walking-beam 
of  a  steam  engine."  Then  somebody  discovered  that 
Caspar  had  an  enormous  reach  —  that  his  arms  were  as 
long  as  John  Quincy's,  who  was  over  six  feet  while 
Caspar  was  several  inches  less. 

Diantha  sat  there  with  the  women,  like  in  the  days  of 
the  Greenwood,  watching  all  these  strange  proceedings. 
Vaguely  she  wondered  if  Caspar's  arms  were  too  long, 
and  then  she  remembered  how  he  had  carried  her  over 
the  river  even  as  Diarmid  had  Crania,  and  of  course  he 
had  to  be  strong  to  do  that  feat.  The  women  and  chil- 
dren were  going  to  their  tent.  Diantha  noticed  that 
Lockwood  had  a  pack  of  cards  in  his  hand,  and  that  he 
had  persuaded  John  to  join  in  a  game  with  several  others, 
to  finish  out  the  evening  around  the  camp-fire. 

Everton,  however,  was  helping  put  up  the  camp  tent 
for  the  men,  and  it  seemed  like  a  dream  within  a  dream, 
to  see  him  there  in  that  place,  working  with  his  hands 
so  usefully.  She  could  not  forbear  saying  something 
to  express  her  surprise.  He  gave  her  an  amused  glance 
in  return  as  he  confessed  that  he  had  run  away  to  sea 
when  he  was  a  boy  and  that  he  had  all  that  sort  of 
knowledge  in  reserve  when  he  wanted  it, 


CAMPING  IN  THE  GREENWOOD  121 

It  seemed  to  her  she  had  never  known  him  at  all. 

She  went  to  get  a  jug  of  water  before  going  to  the  tent 
for  the  night,  and  met  Caspar.  He  had  his  horse  by  the 
bridle  going  to  tether  him  for  the  night. 

The  stars  were  brilliant  above  them  in  the  rarefied 
air  of  the  mountain  but  she  thought  his  eyes  were 
brighter  than  the  stars.  "  I've  been  thinking  it  all  over," 
he  said  rather  huskily,  as  he  always  did  in  excitement, 
"  and  I  think  we  shall  have  to  be  married,  Diantha." 

She  simply  looked  at  him  in  mute  surprise.  "  But 
how,"  she  gathered  wit  enough  to  say,  "  how  can  we, 
when  there  are  so  —  so  many  obstacles  ?  " 

"  Never  mind,  there  is  always  a  way,"  he  said,  "  and 
when  two  people  love  each  other  the  way  we  do,  it  simply 
has  to  be." 

He  did  not  know  whether  she  loved  him  or  not, 
Diantha  reflected.  He  was  the  kind  of  man  who  could 
not  imagine  love  without  marriage  any  more  than  he 
could  marriage  without  love. 

"  How  do  you  know  I  love  you  ?  "  she  managed  to  say. 

"  You  can't  help  it,  because  I  love  you  so  much." 
He  slipped  the  bridle  around  his  arm,  suddenly  reached 
forward  and  the  horse  threw  his  head  up  startled  above 
them  both,  as  Caspar  kissed  Diantha  on  the  nose,  just  as 
awkwardly  and  as  absurdly  as  if  he  were  an  osprey 
swooping  for  a  fish.  So  Diantha  thought,  and  on  the 
instant  the  poor  horse  reared  again,  for  she  had  given 
Caspar  a  good  sharp  box  on  the  ear. 

She  felt  all  her  resentment  aroused  within  her  to  think 
he  should  be  so  presuming.  And  then  she  remembered 
how  near  she  had  come  to  kissing  him  when  crossing  the 


122  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

river,  and  she  blushed  with  shame  at  herself.  She  did 
not  feel  so  sure  that  Caspar  was  not  just  as  dangerous 
as  any  other  man,  and  that  she  had  been  deceiving  her- 
self all  this  time  in  thinking  him  easy  to  impose  upon. 
She  never  felt  so  abashed  and  humbled  in  her  life  as  at 
that  moment.  She  was  glad  to  hear  her  name  called 
from  the  door  of  the  tent  and  answered  promptly, 
"Coming  Ellen—" 

As  she  stooped,  to  take  her  jug  of  water,  he  said, 
"  Don't  be  angry,  I  thought  —  maybe  you  rather  ex- 
pected to  —  be  —  kissed." 

Worse  and  more  of  it!  She  simply  ran  from  him  as 
fast  as  she  could,  and  crept  to  her  place  in  the  tent  in  a 
state  of  abject  humility. 

Ellen  asked  her  if  that  Lockwood  was  bothering  her, 
and  she  replied,  "  No,  I  was  speaking  to  Caspar,  who 
was  tethering  his  horse."  And  Ellen  smiled  and  said 
with  the  utmost  complacency,  "Oh,  Caspar?"  as  if  he 
were  the  next  thing  to  the  arms  of  Providence  for  safety. 

Caspar,  indeed! 

She  decided  that  she  had  never  met  such  a  bold  man 
in  all  her  life. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

ON   THE   TOP   OF  THE   WORLD 

EARLY  next  morning,  with  a  studied  and  over- 
zealous  politeness,  Lockwood  was  playing  cavalier 
to  the  women,  who  were  making  a  start  for  the  climbing 
of  old  Mount  Granite.  In  short  skirts,  leggins,  jackets 
and  tarn  o'shanters  they  made  an  interesting  group,  as 
each  one  strapped  on  her  flask  of  water  and  grasped 
firmly  her  alpenstock. 

As  Diantha  reached  out  her  arm  to  receive  her  flask, 
the  little  black  bag  hanging  from  her  wrist  caught  in  the 
strap  and  caused  her  to  delay  in  placing  it.  "  Oh,  put 
your  handkerchief  in  your  sleeve,"  suggested  Miss  Read, 
the  school-teacher,  "  and  don't  be  bothered  with  any  bags 
on  a  trip  like  this,  every  extra  pound  weighs  five  before 
you  get  to  the  top." 

Thus  persuaded,  Diantha  glanced  around.  Lockwood 
was  stooping  down  to  pick  up  a  fallen  flask,  no  one  was 
paying  any  attention.  She  drew  off  from  her  wrist,  the 
tanglesome  thing,  and  flying  back  to  the  tent,  placed  it 
inside  her  nightgown  bag,  under  her  pillow. 

When  she  returned,  the  party  was  rallying  Lockwood 
for  backing  out  at  the  last  moment  from  making  the 
climb.  If  any  doubt  of  the  safety  of  her  hand-bag 
touched  her,  she  dismissed  it  as  a  morbid  suspicion,  and 
fell  in  behind  Ellen  on  her  upward  way.  As  she  looked 

123 


124  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

back,  however,  she  noticed  Tommy  holding  on  to  Lock- 
wood's  hand  and  wished  she  had  the  courage  to  tell  Ellen 
how  the  child  had  been  utilized  in  an  attempt  at  bribery. 
But  it  was  one  of  the  things  it  was  not  wise  to  reveal  and 
it  was  too  unpleasant  to  dwell  upon. 

When  they  came  to  the  bare  heights  above  the  timber- 
belt,  some  hours  later,  they  had  a  momentary  glimpse  of 
the  central  lofty  peak  for  which  they  were  heading,  and 
there  on  the  top  of  it,  was  a  flag  fluttering  in  the  breeze. 
A  cry  of  surprise  was  raised  at  once  and  everyone 
hastened  to  see  the  sight. 

Diantha  thought  Ever  ton  very  insensible  to  the  lovely 
vision  and  harbinger  of  welcome,  so  strangely  flung  out 
just  as  they  appeared,  from  that  grim  old  point  of  granite 
against  the  blue  sky.  She  did  not  hesitate  to  find  fault 
with  him,  and  said  most  severely,  "  Were  it  my  own 
banner  I  could  hardly  be  more  affected." 

She  perceived  the  exchange  of  glances  between  him 
and  Ellen  and  then  she  understood  it.  It  was  Everton 
himself  who  had  given  them  the  delightful  surprise.  She 
was  dumbfounded.  She  wondered  to  herself  if  a  girl 
could  possibly  know  what  kind  of  a  being  a  man  was, 
even  if  she  knew  him  a  lifetime. 

Little  by  little,  after  lunch,  the  members  of  the  party 
fell  back.  The  high  altitude  and  cold  breath  from  the 
snow-banks  made  the  numbers  decrease  on  that  upward 
climb,  until  at  last  John  went  back  with  Ellen  to  the 
sheltered  cove  with  the  rest  of  the  ones  left  behind,  and 
there  were  Stanley  Everton  and  Diantha  in  the  lead,  and 
Miss  Read  and  Caspar  following,  the  only  ones  who 
dared  to  try  for  the  top. 


ON  THE  TOP  OF  THE  WORLD  125 

Then  Miss  Read  fell  back  with  Stanley  by  her  side 
and  Caspar  and  Diantha  took  the  lead. 

At  last  they  reached  the  tip  top.  It  was  a  superb  sight 
that  stretched  out  in  gigantic  panorama  before  their  eyes. 
Far  below  was  a  smiling  green  country  with  silver-ribbon 
streams  running  through,  and  then  to  the  other  side  was 
a  new  world  of  unknown  peaks,  rock-ribbed  and  ancient, 
clothed  in  purple  shadows  all  about  its  deep  gorges,  with 
here  and  there  a  relic  of  awful  glacier  days,  where  bare 
domes  stood  out  as  if  sand-papered  by  the  mighty  forces 
of  the  centuries. 

It  was  such  a  great  space  for  the  eye  to  dwell  upon 
that  it  made  Diantha's  heart  tremble  to  realize  the  vast- 
ness  and  splendor  of  it  all.  In  spite  of  her  claim  that 
she  had  been  reared  near  the  edge  of  the  glaciers,  it  was 
more  a  comparative  term  than  a  literal  one,  more  sym- 
bolical than  real,  for  never  had  she  beheld  anything  to 
equal  this  magnificent  scene. 

Her  pulses  were  beating  so  fast,  that  she  had  to  pull 
her  gloves  off  for  relief.  She  felt  herself  overwhelmed 
as  she  thought  how  tiny  were  they  in  comparison,  mere 
mites  of  people  in  a  gigantic  universe.  She  became  dizzy, 
looking  from  such  a  height,  and  suddenly  realized  that 
Caspar's  arm  was  around  her  steadying  her. 

She  drew  away,  and  he  said,  "  Don't  be  angry,  Diantha 
—  haven't  you  forgiven  me  yet  ?  " 

"  Why  should  I,"  she  murmured. 

"  Well,  I've  always  read  in  novels,  that  the  man  kissed 
the  girl  when  they  became  engaged,  and  I  supposed — " 

"  That  I  had  read  the  same  novels  ?  "  she  continued. 

"  That  —  that  was  about  it,"  he  stammered.    "  I  don't 


126  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

know  anything  about  girls  at  first  hand,  except  my  sister, 
and  sisters  don't  count  on  a  thing  like  that." 

"  Do  you  expect  me  to  believe  that  ?  "  she  asked  gently. 

He  laughed  a  funny  sort  of  laugh,  she  thought. 
"  You  certainly  can't  think  me  much  of  an  adept."  And 
then  she  had  to  laugh  herself,  for  the  poor  horse  rearing 
above  and  that  sudden  osprey  swoop  and  whack  at  her 
nose,  was  never  told  of  any  lover  she  had  ever  read  of, 
as  concomitants  in  the  giving  of  a  betrothal  kiss. 

She  perceived  that  Everton  and  Miss  Read  were 
making  no  attempt  to  follow,  and  quickly  she  asked, 
"  Honestly,  Caspar,  do  you  think  that  because  a  man 
asks  a  girl  to  marry  him,  that  gives  him  a  right  to  kiss 
her?" 

"  Maybe  not,  but  until  now,  I  had  always  supposed  it 
was  considered  to  be  the  proper  thing." 

"  Do  you  suppose  a  girl  wants  to  be  kissed  by  every 
man  who  dares  to  propose  to  her  ?  " 

Caspar  looked  at  Diantha  intently.  "  Why,  no  —  I 
never  thought  of  that  — " 

"  Well,  how  many  proposals  do  you  suppose  I  have 
had  ?  "  she  continued,  determined  to  make  him  see  the 
point. 

"  I  imagine  a  good  many.  Yes,  of  course,  a  fine, 
splendid  girl  like  you,  so  clever  and  so  beautiful  and  so 
good." 

"  Oh,  never  mind  all  that,"  she  said  confusedly.  "  But 
I  am  going  to  tell  you  the  truth  —  there  have  been  — 
twelve  good  men  and  true  who  have  done  me  the  honor 
to  ask  me  to  marry  them,  and  not  one  of  them  has  dared 
—  to  do  —  to  think  as  you  have." 


1  » 

OF 


ON  THE  TOP  OF  THE  WORLD  127 

He  gazed  at  her  fixedly.  "I'm  glad  of  that,"  he 
said,  finally,  "  I  shouldn't  like  to  think  my  wife  had 
been  kissed  by  twelve  men  and  that  I  was  the  thirteenth 
instead  of  being  the  first." 

Diantha  took  a  long  breath  at  this  piece  of  impu- 
dence. 

"  We  are  going  to  be  married,"  said  he  smiling,  in 
calm  assurance,  "  nothing  can  prevent  that !  " 

"  It  takes  two  to  make  a  bargain,"  she  said,  looking 
off  at  the  majestic  panorama  spread  before  them. 

"  Yes,  but  we  love  each  other  and  we  don't  need  any 
bargain,"  and  he  looked  into  her  eyes  with  that  beautiful 
irradiation  in  his  smile  that  held  her  fast.  She  thought 
of  the  little  song  her  friend  Vivian  used  to  sing  to  her- 
self at  the  piano  when  she  had  thought  herself  heart- 
broken, before  she  met  Howard. 

"Love's  slavery  is  sweet, —  is   sweet." 

In  that  moment  all  her  doubts  faded  away.  They 
two,  who  had  been  waiting  for  each  other,  had  met  at 
last,  as  she  had  always  dreamed  they  should,  and  here 
they  two  were  standing  at  the  top  of  the  world,  filled 
with  great  joy  because  they  had  found  each  other  indeed. 
She  felt  the  conviction  that  Caspar  was  her  own  true 
knight,  tall  and  splendid,  and  that  she  was  his  appointed 
mate  from  the  beginning  of  the  world.  And  that  God 
had  sent  him  to  her. 

She  could  hear  his  heart  beating  in  hard  sledge-ham- 
mer beats,  and  his  pulse  set  the  currents  of  her  own 
heart  to  a  faster  time.  Under  the  influence  of  the  won- 
derful moment  she  resolved  to  measure  herself  by  a 


128  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

greater  and  more  splendid  ideal  —  that  she  would  not 
descend  to  her  former  petty  estate  —  that  she  would  be 
more  generous,  more  kind,  more  pitiful,  knowing  that 
she  had  received  the  glory  of  a  revelation  which  fell  to 
few  women  of  earth.  Caspar  was  holding  her  hand,  and 
then  a  voice  called,  "  Halloo,  isn't  it  pretty  cold  up 
there  ?  "  Then  she  felt  a  strange  sensation,  an  unaccus- 
tomed feeling  to  her  finger,  and  when  she  looked  she 
saw  there  was  a  golden  circlet  there,  the  plain  gold  ring 
from  Caspar's  hand  transferred  to  hers. 


CHAPTER  XIX 

EVERTON    IS   SURPRISED  AT   HIMSELF 

SHE  came  to  the  fact  that  there  was  a  regular  gale 
blowing,  the  flag  above  them  flapping  violently,  and 
even  her  skirt  was  behaving  like  a  banner.  Caspar  kissed 
her  hand  gently  and  then  led  the  way  down. 

Behind  a  rock  they  found  Miss  Read  and  Everton 
sheltered  from  the  wind.  Diantha  became  aware  that 
he  was  looking  at  her  with  a  peculiar  expression.  Not 
wishing  to  be  selfish  in  her  happiness,  she  went  along 
by  his  side  while  Caspar  went  ahead  with  Miss  Read,  who 
was  anxious  to  get  out  of  the  wind. 

All  at  once  Diantha  realized  that  Everton  was  being 
very  serious.  "  I  was  never  more  surprised  in  my  life," 
he  was  saying. 

She  echoed  him  in  a  faint  tone.     "  Surprised  ?  " 

"  At  my  generosity,"  he  said  meditatively,  "  I  never 
would  have  believed  it  possible  for  any  man  to  be  gen- 
erous enough  to  admit  that  his  rival  is  the  better  man 
of  the  two." 

Diantha  was  distressed,  and  entreated  him  not  to  use 
such  a  word  as  that,  and  assured  him  that  there  was  no 
one  who  was  half  as  good  as  he  was.  She  observed  a 
melancholy  look  in  his  eyes  and  it  made  her  unhappy. 

"  I  can  see,"  he  went  on,  "  that  you  have  found  your  — 
Caspar."  And  then  in  contrast  to  the  quietness  of  his 

129 


130  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

words,  he  struck  furiously  at  the  rocks  in  his  path  and 
shattered  his  alpenstock. 

"  Were  I  —  a  Swede/'  and  he  took  on  a  grim  look 
that  half  frightened  her,  "  doubtless  at  this  moment  I 
should  be  planning  how  to  fling  Caspar  over  the  rocks 
to  the  gorge  below,  but  being  just  a  plain  North  Amer- 
ican, I  not  only  let  him  go  on  living,  but  I  have  to 
congratulate  you  on  having  found  the  man  of  your 
dreams." 

"  There  is  nobody  half  as  kind  and  good  as  you  are/' 
she  insisted,  trying  to  change  his  mood.  "  Caspar  is 
half  a  savage  sometimes,  and  it  is  only  because  I  am 
half  a  savage,  too,  that  I  can  put  up  with  him.  O  Mr. 
Everton,"  she  burst  out  suddenly,  "  why  don't  you  go 
back  to  New  York  and  marry  Colleen?  She  is  very 
much  better  tempered  than  I  am  and  a  fine  housekeeper, 
which  I  am  not,  and  would  make  you  very  happy." 

He  did  not  laugh,  he  only  said  in  a  dry  sort  of  way, 
"  She  is  a  dear,  sweet  girl  and  if  I  hadn't  met  you  I 
should  be  charmed  to  ask  her;  but  from  all  I  can  learn 
all  you  bachelor-girls  have  the  same  romantic  notions 
and  I  shouldn't  dare  to  put  another  one  to  the  test." 

She  did  not  seem  to  understand. 

"  Romantic  in  one  way  and  yet  supersensible  and  cal- 
culating to  the  limit  after  all,"  he  replied.  "  You  girls, 
I  have  no  doubt,  have  been  looking  into  the  future  and 
considering  all  sorts  of  things;  for  instance,  what  you 
will  name  your  children." 

"  Indeed,  yes,"  she  made  prompt  response,  "  the  first 
son  after  our  fathers — " 

"  It's  unconventional  and  it's  calculating,  but  it  belongs 


EVERTON  IS  SURPRISED  AT  HIMSELF          131 

to  our  progressive  age  to  arrange  all  these  things  before- 
hand, and  doubtless,"  he  went  on  in  the  same  dry  way, 
"  you  have  all  decided  what  sort  of  a  man  makes  the 
best  husband." 

Diantha  answered  him  without  suspicion.  "  We  do 
have  peculiar  ideas,  I  suppose,"  she  said  gently,  "  but 
there  is  something  we  think  is  far  more  important  than 
that;  it  is  not  with  us  so  much  what  kind  of  a  husband 
a  man  makes,  as  it  is  what  kind  of  a  father  he  is  going 
to  be." 

"  That  is  rather  important,"  he  assented,  still  knock- 
ing things  out  of  his  way  fiercely  as  he  went. 

"  Important,  J  should  say  so,"  burst  out  Diantha,  full 
of  enthusiasm.  "  Why,  what's  the  reason  so  many 
mothers  are  cursed  with  black  sheep  for  sons?  Simply 
because  they  married  black  sheep  or  the  brothers  of 
black  sheep  for  husbands.  We  Pleiades  girls  would 
rather  slave  all  our  lives  at  business  than  undertake  a 
job  like  that.  We  think  of  heredity  and  we  think  of 
the  environment  as  affecting  our  future  and  we  are 
going  to  choose  what  we  will  have.  Why,  there  was 
somebody  proposed  to  Colleen  once  and  we  asked  her 
why  it  was  she  refused  him.  And  she  said  she  thought 
of  her  children,  and  how  she  would  blush  to  lead  such 
a  specimen  of  manhood  before  them  and  say,  '  Children, 
this  is  your  father/  She  said  it  was  simply  impossible/' 

"  Rather  a  quaint  idea,"  said  Everton,  musingly. 


CHAPTER  XX 

EVERTON   HURLS   A   ROCK 

THEY  had  passed  the  snow-line  and  there  was  no 
one  in  sight.  Diantha  began  to  be  greatly  embar- 
rassed at  the  turn  of  the  conversation  and  angered  at 
herself  for  her  needless  frankness.  Also  she  was  an- 
noyed beyond  measure  to  find  herself  lagging  behind  with 
Ever  ton,  and  fearsome  that  she  might  find  herself  com- 
ing into  camp  long  after  everybody  else,  with  more 
tongues  wagging  at  her  expense.  Eagerly  she  wished 
herself  down  the  trail  with  the  others. 

Acting  on  the  impulse  almost  childishly,  she  began  to 
run  ahead  recklessly,  in  the  hope  to  catch  up  with  Miss 
Read  and  not  be  left  behind  so  stupidly.  She  saw  a 
crooked  pine  below  she  thought  she  recognized  as  a 
landmark  when  coming  up.  Toward  this  tree  she  sped, 
making  a  short  cut  down  the  hillside  with  the  expecta- 
tion of  reaching  the  trail  that  wound  about  below,  as  she 
imagined. 

It  was  a  foolhardy  thing  to  do,  to  step  away  from  the 
beaten  route,  as  any  mountain-climber  might  know,  but 
she  was  in  such  a  panic  to  avert  any  more  cause  for  talk 
especially  in  having  her  name  linked  with  Everton's,  that 
she  rushed  into  worse  perils  unaware  of  them.  She 
hardly  noticed  that  she  was  on  a  bank  of  gravel  and 

132 


EVERTON  HURLS  A  ROCK  133 

pebbles  that  oozed  along  in  little  trickles,  here  and  there, 
behind  her,  nor  did  she  know  that  just  beyond  her  to 
one  side  was  a  great  jumping-ofl  place,  where  a  land- 
slide had  gone  down  leaving  an  abrupt  and  fearful  de- 
clivity. 

Where  the  trail  wound  around  in  a  serpentine  from 
the  path  she  had  just  left,  were  Caspar  and  Miss  Read 
resting  by  a  boulder  and  waiting  for  Everton  and 
Diantha  to  join  them.  They  heard  the  peculiar  sound 
of  the  trickling  pebbles  and  hastened  to  see  what  could 
be  causing  it,  and  there  beheld  Diantha  making  her 
way,  almost  as  if  for  the  edge  of  the  precipice. 

"  Oh,  she  will  be  killed ! "  cried  Miss  Read,  shrinking 
from  the  sight. 

Caspar  tried  to  call  out  to  Everton,  who  was  standing 
above,  but  he  could  only  wave  his  arms  to  him  to  try  to 
stop  her.  Already  Everton  had  perceived  her  danger, 
but.  she  ignored  his  call  to  come  back,  being  determined 
to  have  her  own  way.  The  only  thing  that  could  be 
done  to  hinder  her  from  going  in  the  direction  of  the 
precipitous  edge  was  by  getting  something  there  before 
her  to  show  her  the  danger  ahead.  Then  she  would  have 
to  stop.  He  realized  he  might  make  a  terrible  mistake, 
but  something  had  to  be  done  instantly.  Already  he 
had  a  small  boulder  in  his  hand  carefully  poised  to  strike 
and  to  roll  away  from  her.  Then  white  as  death,  with 
a  great  heave  he  sent  it  bounding  down  the  slope  toward 
the  jutting  edge.  It  was  a  fearful  hazard.  The  sound 
of  its  impact  reached  the  girl  below.  She  stopped  and 
turned.  Then  she  perceived  the  terrible  thing  rolling, 


134  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

as  it  went,  with  its  added  momentum,  and  hastened 
out  of  its  course  even  more,  watching  it  till  it  struck 
a  rock  and  bounded  off  into  space. 

She  noticed  then  the  little  trickling  pebbles  of  the 
bank  she  was  on,  and  while  she  sought  firmer  ground, 
thought  it  was  she  who  had  dislodged  the  stone  on  her 
way  down,  and  considered  what  a  mercy  it  was  that  it 
had  taken  a  course  so  far  to  the  right  of  her.  She  saw 
Everton  above  her,  standing  there  so  strangely  still,  she 
was  aware  something  terrible  had  happened;  possibly 
someone  in  the  camp  below  had  been  hurt. 

As  she  came  up  the  slope  again,  she  was  pale  and 
breathless.  "  Oh,"  she  exclaimed,  "  I  hope  no  one  was 
hurt,  when  that  rock  struck  way  down  below.  Do  you 
think  it  went  near  them  ?  " 

Everton  was  looking  at  her  wildly.  "  Thank  God !  " 
he  said  fervently,  "  don't  ever  do  anything  like  that 
again." 

"  Why,  what  is  the  matter?"  she  asked. 

"  How  like  to  the  wild  ass's  colt  thou  art,  O 
Ephraim !  "  he  muttered. 

"  But  what  is  there  to  be  angry  about  ?  "  she  insisted. 

"If  you  should  ever  have  a  son  and  that  son  should 
throw  himself  over  a  precipice,"  said  he  mockingly, 
"  don't  be  surprised,  the  unfortunate  son  would  not  be 
to  blame,  it  would  be  simply  because  his  mother  took 
the  notion  once  upon  a  time  that  she  was  a  Rocky  Moun- 
tain sheep." 

She  tried  to  make  out  what  it  was  he  meant  and  de- 
cided that  it  was  some  sarcastic  reference  to  the  "black 
sheep,"  which  she  had  referred  to  in  their  previous  con- 


EVERTON  HURLS  A  ROCK  135 

versation.  Then  he  went  on,  "  If  you  were  a  child  of 
mine  I  should  shut  you  up  on  bread  and  water  for  a 
week.  I  never  had  such  a  fright  in  my  life!  Just 
look !  Isn't  my  hair  like  the  driven  snow  ?  " 

He  took  off  his  hat  as  he  spoke,  half  in  jest  and  all 
in  earnest.  "  She's  all  right,"  he  cried  to  the  two  just 
beyond,  and  then  she  came  up  out  of  the  hollow  in  the 
slope  and  saw  Caspar  and  Miss  Read.  Miss  Read  was 
holding  a  handkerchief  to  her  eyes  and  Caspar  looked 
at  her  strangely. 

"  What  is  it?  "  Diantha  cried,  half  terrified,  "  did  any 
one  get  hurt  by  the  rock  down  below  ?  " 

"I  couldn't  bear  to  look,"  said  Miss  Read,  weakly, 
"  I  thought  you  were  going  over  the  cliff,  before  you 
could  stop." 

As  she  reached  their  point  of  espionage  and  beheld 
what  they  had  seen,  the  hollowed-out  slope  below  with 
its  shifting  soil  of  loosed  pebbles,  and  beheld  the  sheer 
edge  of  the  jutting  cliff  and  the  awful  abyss  below,  she 
became  so  faint  that  she  sat  down  with  a  weak  feeling 
creeping  over  her.  The  trail  serpentined  around  by  a 
very  short  curve  and  took  its  way  to  the  other  side  of 
the  little  crooked  pine  she  had  taken  for  a  guide. 

She  remembered  then  that  sometimes  in  the  city  when 
she  went  into  a  large  building  and  came  out  again  that 
she  got  turned  around  like  that,  that  the  street  seemed 
reversed  for  a  moment,  but  she  had  never  thought  such 
a  thing  as  this  would  happen  to  her  in  the  country. 

"But  why  did  you  do  it?"  at  last  asked  Caspar 
huskily  in  his  agitation. 

"  I  was  trying  to  catch  up  with  you  and  Miss  Read !  " 


136  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

she  said  meekly,  "  and  I  thought  I  was  .making  a  short 
cut  for  the  trail." 

Then  she  met  Everton's  reproachful  glance  and  fell 
behind  in  the  little  procession  going  down  the  trail,  as 
if  to  make  amends  for  her  unfortunate  speech.  Not 
until  she  heard  the  voices  of  those  from  below  did  she 
dare  to  break  the  silence,  and  then  it  was  to  hope  that 
no  one  had  been  hurt  by  the  falling  boulder;  for  her 
punishment  would  be  greater  than  she  could  bear  for 
just  a  little  mistake  like  that. 

Everton  assured  her  they  would  not  be  laughing  like 
that  unless  all  were  well  with  them  down  there,  and 
that  she  was  not  to  worry,  as  the  rock  had  been  dis- 
lodged by  himself,  not  her,  and  that  she  was  in  nowise 
to  blame  for  it. 

"  And  was  that  why  you  stood  there  like  a  man  carved 
from  stone  ?  "  she  asked,  bewilderment  mingling  with  her 
gratitude  to  him  for  assuming  part  of  the  blame. 

"  I  suppose  so,"  he  returned.  "  And  now  about  that 
riddle  of  yours.  If  I  had  not  solved  it  I  could  not  have 
understood  why  you  were  trying  to  catch  up  with  Miss 
Read  so  well."  He  looked  into  her  eyes  gravely. 

"  You  can't  blame  me,"  she  murmured,  "  if  you  knew 
all  I  have  been  through  on  account  of  this  old  moun- 
tain." 

"  I  do  know,"  he  said  briefly.  And  she  wondered  how 
much  of  the  whole  truth  was  his. 

"  It  was  only  a  word  that  flew  like  a  bird, 
From  North  to  South  in  every  one's  mouth," 

he  repeated.     "  That  is  the  penalty  you  pay  for  living 


EVERTON  HURLS  A  ROCK  137 

in  a  small  community  where  every  one  knows  your  af- 
fairs better  than  you  do  yourself." 

"  Yes/*  she  assented,  "  one  can  be  alone  much  better 
in  the  city." 

He  did  not  triumph  over  her  in  this  concession  of  hers, 
he  -only  went  on  to  say  that  he  was  filled  with  admiration 
at  the  way  she  had  met  the  difficult  situation  forced 
upon  her,  that  her  alliance  with  a  woman  like  Mrs. 
Mackintosh  had  disarmed  everyone,  that  the  women  all 
had  learned  to  love  her  for  her  interest  in  them  and  their 
children,  and  the  men  all  respected  her,  so  that  the  evil 
words  of  Lockwood  had  only  aroused  the  anger  of  them 
all. 

"Just  the  same,  he  ought  to  be  killed,  the  low 
hound,"  he  added  hoarsely. 

"  Oh,"  exclaimed  Diantha,  with  her  hand  pressed  to 
her  heart,  "  I  don't  want  anybody  killed ;  it  would  follow 
me  all  the  rest  of  my  life." 

"  You  are  right,"  he  said,  "  guess  we'll  have  to  go  on 
being  just  plain  North  Americans  boiling  with  red-hot 
rage,  but  keeping  the  laws  just  the  same." 

"Yes,"  said  Diantha,  faintly. 

"  But  he'll  get  the  law  all  right,"  said  Everton,  grimly, 
"  there'll  be  some  comfort  in  that.  Why  haven't  you 
told  what  you  know?  I  suppose  it  is  all  for  Caspar's 
sake,  lucky  dog!  I  can  see  you  are  going  to  win  that 
thousand,  and  maybe  the  five  thousand." 

"Hush,"  she  exclaimed,  "there  is  no  bet  between  us; 
don't  speak  so  loud.  What  if  he  should  hear? " 

Everton  was  taken  completely  by  surprise  at  first. 
Then  an  understanding  seemed  to  come  to  him.  "  Oh, 


138  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

yes!  of  course,  a  simple  fellow  like  Caspar  wouldn't 
understand  a  thing  like  that,  I  can  see." 

Diantha's  face  was  pale  and  her  hazel-gray  ayes  full 
of  suppressed  feeling  as  she  begged  him  not  to  mention 
that  dreadful  bet  to  her  again  and  assured  him  she  had 
never  looked  upon  it  as  anything  but  the  folly  of  the 
moment. 

"  But  you  would  never  have  come  to  Boulder  if  it 
had  not  been  for  that  folly,"  he  insisted. 

"  Please,"  she  entreated,  "  I  have  a  reason." 

As  they  came  into  the  group  waiting  for  them,  she 
went  ahead.  But  Everton  remained  looking  out  upon 
the  great  piled-up  rocks  and  gorges,  beginning  to  be 
clothed  in  the  purple  shades  of  distance.  It  was  a 
majestic  and  splendid  revelation  of  nature.  He  saw 
some  one  was  by  his  side. 

"  Glorious  country  you  have  here,  Caspar,"  said  he, 
"  but  you've  never  been  to  New  York.  You  can  never 
really  appreciate  the  West  until  you  have  lived  in  the 
city."  And  Caspar  admitted  that  he  hoped  some  day  to 
be  able  to  visit  New  York  and  see  it  for  himself. 

"  Don't  say  anything  about  it,  but  maybe  I  could  fix 
up  a  plan  so  you  could  go  this  fall,"  said  Everton,  his 
eyes  ablaze  with  intensity. 

Caspar  laughed  and  said  that  was  too  good  to  be 
true.  "  Leave  it  to  me,"  said  Everton,  and  he  began 
pulling  at  his  moustache. 

It  would  not  be  fair  to  him,  he  assured  himself,  for 
that  bet  of  his  to  be  decided  until  Caspar  had  gone  to 
New  York  and  Diantha  had  tested  him  there.  As  for 
the  bet  being  off  that  was  pure  nonsense. 


EVERTON  HURLS  A  ROCK  139 

He  drew  a  letter  from  his  pocket.  It  was  from  his 
friend  Howard,  whom  he  had  taken  into  his  confidence. 
He  read  again  a  certain  paragraph. 

"  This  local  Hercules  may  be  all  Diantha  thinks  he  is, 
but  I  doubt  it.  He  may  appear  to  have  sand,  but  I  bet 
you  five  hundred  dollars,  I  can  make  him  '  squeal/ 
Just  fetch  him  to  New  York  and  let  me  have  a  try  at 
him." 

Not  yet  had  Everton  come  to  the  full  poignancy  of 
suffering  in  his  love-affair  with  Diantha  and  in  being 
thus  rejected  for  another.  That  stage  of  feeling  was 
yet  to  come.  To  him  it  was  still  the  game,  and  his 
nature  had  not  had  time  to  change  from  its  usual  habit 
of  viewing  things  cold-bloodedly.  And  yet,  hardened  as 
he  still  was,  as  he  dwelt  upon  this  proposition  of  his 
friend  Howard's  to  help  him  out,  he  felt  a  strange  com- 
punction for  the  moment.  If  as  a  result  of  this  bet, 
Diantha  should  be  convinced  that  Caspar  was  not  the 
fine  fellow  she  thought  him,  she  would  then  marry  him. 
All  was  fair  in  love  and  war,  he  assured  himself.  It 
was  the  game  that  one  should  lose,  why  not  Caspar  in- 
stead of  himself? 

Yet  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  he  was  his  rival,  he  had 
learned  to  like  Caspar,  to  admire  him  for  his  honesty 
and  splendid  qualities.  He  hated  to  think  of  being  guilty 
of  a  meanness  toward  him. 

Everton  stood  there  trying  to  justify  himself.  He 
knew  he  had  but  to  reveal  to  Caspar  the  bet  he  had 
made  with  Diantha  to  see  him  withdraw  from  the  con- 
test. But  an  act  like  that  was  beneath  any  man  and 
positively  contemptible.  He  would  win  her  from  him 


140  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

if  he  could,  but  it  should  be  done  by  the  rules  of  the 
game,  fair  and  square,  in  honorable  battle.  But  he 
must  have  that  final  battle  on  his  own  ground,  in  the 
city.  How  then  should  he  proceed  so  as  to  have  the 
approval  of  his  own  conscience? 

He  looked  off  at  the  darkening  horizon,  and  closely 
calculating,  said  with  half-shut  lids,  "  I'll  bet  my  money 
on  Caspar  and  against  myself !  That's  fair  enough  for 
any  man ! " 


CHAPTER  XXI 

FIVE   MEN    WHO   ONCE   WERE   BABES 

WHEN  the  party  arrived  in  camp,  it  was  Tommy 
who  was  the  first  one  to  rush  to  meet  them.  He 
came  like  a  small  cyclone  and  greeted  them  all,  one 
after  another,  men  and  women  alike,  with  violent  hugs 
and  kisses.  As  Diantha  came  in  for  the  first  share  of 
his  effusiveness,  she  also  received  the  first  installment 
of  his  gatherings  for  the  day  in  the  way  of  climate,  soil 
and  productions.  And  as  she  kissed  him  in  return  she 
wondered  vaguely  why  it  was  that  the  small  boy  has  such 
an  affinity  for  Mother  Earth  and  also  sugar  at  the  same 
time. 

"  Be  careful !  "  she  cried  to  Mrs.  Mackintosh.  "  Tom- 
my is  awfully  sticky !  " 

"  Sticky,"  the  fond  mother  repeated.  "  Why,  Tommy, 
I  hope  you  have  not  been  eating  candy,  you  know  the 
doctor  said  it  was  not  good  for  you." 

"  Nope,"  said  the  sugary  cherub,  climbing  all  over  her. 

Ellen,  who  was  a  fine  woman,  had  but  the  one  weak-- 
ness of  being  Tommy's  mother.  To  her,  he  was  a 
treasure,  a  keepsake  from  God,  just  a  little  less  than 
the  angels,  but  not  more  than  a  barleycorn  less.  To 
Diantha,  who  knew  him  better,  he  was  a  four-year-old 
Bowery  tough.  She  knew  for  all  his  stained-glass  halo 
of  childhood,  that  he  could  lie  and  steal  and  swear  and 

141 


142  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

be  sly  as  an  imp.  And  when  she  realized  the  ignorance 
of  the  mother  over  her  own  child,  she  was  moved  to 
wonder  if  when  she  had  the  rearing  of  a  small  boy  of 
her  own  if  she  would  be  as  blind  as  Ellen  was,  and 
whether  blindness  was  a  necessary  ingredient  of  mother- 
hood that  its  trials  and  sorrows  could  be  endured? 

Around  the  camp-fire  they  sat  that  evening,  and  as 
someone  played  a  plaintive  air  upon  a  willow-whistle  he 
had  made,  and  someone  danced  a  rustic  jig  while  they 
all  "  Patted  Juba,"  Diantha  kept  looking  at  the  picture 
Ellen  made,  sitting  there  in  the  fitful  firelight  holding 
Tommy,  all  clean  and  sweet  now,  in  her  fond  arms.  He 
was  more  like  a  cherub  than  ever,  a  picture  of  gold  and 
pink  and  white  innocence  fast  asleep  and  safely  guarded 
by  her  maternal  love. 

She  was  thinking  to  herself  that  she  did  not  wonder 
that  in  all  ages  they  represented  the  woman  in  sackcloth 
and  ashes,  mourning  over  her  son,  as  the  most  powerful 
phase  of  human  suffering.  "  Every  mother  in  any  age 
or  clime  who  has  received  a  man-child  from  the  Lord 
could  gaze  upon  the  semblance  given  of  holy  mother- 
hood and  comprehend  in  her  own  heart  what  it  stands 
for  so  poignantly/*  she  thought  to  herself  as  she  looked 
at  the  living  picture  before  her. 

Then  she  called  to  mind  a  description  Showery  had 
given  her  of  a  grand  painting  she  had  seen  in  the  Guild- 
hall when  she  was  in  London.  It  was  among  a  collec- 
tion of  Murillo's.  "  Why,"  Showery  had  said,  "  it  was 
perfectly  beautiful  and  at  the  same  time  perfectly  sen- 
sible. You  would  have  thought  it  was  anybody's  mother ; 
sitting  in  a  chair  with  arms  held  out  helplessly  in  despair 


FIVE  MEN  WHO  ONCE  WERE  BABES        143 

because  her  son  was  so  wild  and  reckless,  and  she  couldn't 
do  anything,  but  just  pray,  and  leave  him  to  God,  but 
on  the  catalogue  they  called  it  a  '  Madonna/  >J 

Diantha  thought  Ellen  would  be  that  kind  of  a  Ma- 
donna in  years  to  come,  if  she  did  not  wake  up  in  time 
and  provide  a  better  environment  for  poor  little  Tommy. 

She  made  up  her  mind  resolutely  that  she  would  not 
indulge  in  blind  worship  of  her  boy  if  she  should  ever 
have  one;  but  that  she  would  like  to  be  able  to  see  his 
faults  when  he  was  small  and  teach  him  how  to  make 
a  man  of  himself  for  the  time  when  he  was  grown  up, 
and  then  to  have  faith  in  him  because  she  could  "  bank  " 
on  his  character.  She  began  to  wonder  how  a  woman 
could  go  to  work  to  do  that.  Caspar's  mother  could 
bank  on  him  all  right,  she  must  be  a  wonderful  woman, 
she  thought  to  herself. 

She  looked  around  at  them  all  sitting  about  the  fire, 
bearded  men  with  seamed  faces,  mostly,  and  Lockwood 
so  pasty  white  with  a  watchful  gleam  in  his  red-rimmed 
eyes;  shadowy  Watson,  with  a  look  of  fear  upon  him; 
John  Quincy  smiling  and  whirling  a  burning  stick  from 
the  camp-fire  about  his  head  like  a  grown-up  child ;  Ever- 
ton,  who  met  her  eye  eagerly,  a  strong,  resolute  man; 
Caspar,  who  sat  in  the  background,  so  modest  and  yet 
so  bold ;  and  all  of  these  once  had  lain  as  helpless  as  did 
Tommy,  in  the  arms  of  their  mothers  and  doubtless  were 
as  sweet  and  fair  to  gaze  upon. 

A  good  man  was  the  noblest  work  of  God  and  the 
mother  of  a  good  man  must  be  the  happiest  woman  upon 
the  earth,  she  thought.  Had  not  these  five  men  started 
even  in  the  race?  What  had  entered  into  their  lives  to 


144  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

make  them  thus  different?  What  sort  of  little  fellows 
had  they  been  ? 

Diantha  had  an  ingenuous  way  of  her  own  in  obtaining 
answers  to  her  questions,  and  presently  she  was  gleaning 
a  bit  here  and  there  of  childish  history  that  gave  her 
material  to  think  of  for  the  years  to  come. 

John  Quincy  had  been  left  to  the  nurses  for  his  early 
training,  and  used  to  "  holler  "  till  he  got  what  he  wanted, 
and  he  admitted  he  must  have  been  an  awful  bore. 
Lockwood  bragged  that  he  was  the  best  child  of  his  family 
when  he  was  little,  that  he  never  was  whipped  till  he 
killed  a  cat  one  day  and  when  his  father  had  "  tried  it  on  " 
he  had  put  his  teeth  into  his  father's  leg,  and  nobody 
had  ever  wanted  to  tackle  him  again.  Everton  said  he 
had  not  been  much  to  brag  of  as  a  cub,  that  he  ran 
away  and  went  in  swimming  and  stole  watermelons,  and 
was  only  surprised  that  he  did  not  get  more  thrashings 
than  he  did.  When  it  came  to  Caspar's  confession,  every 
one  was  surprised.  "  He  had  been  as  bad  as  they  make 
them,"  he  said,  "  at  the  tender  age,  and  it  had  been  a 
toss-up  whether  he  would  turn  out  a  bank-wrecker  or 
just  a  mere  anarchist!  " 

Ellen  woke  up  and  declared  he  must  be  joking. 

He  insisted,  however,  that  his  school-teacher  had  an- 
nounced in  school  once  that  a  boy  so  destructive  and  so 
bad-tempered  as  he,  would  come  to  the  gallows  some  day. 
He  explained  that  he  was  always  taking  things  to  pieces 
to  see  how  they  were  made,  but  that  nobody  could  be  ex- 
pected to  appreciate  what  he  was  after.  He  related  an 
incident  of  how,  when  he  was  two  years  old,  he  had  car- 
ried off  a  tumbler  from  the  table  and  had  taken  it  to  the 


FIVE  MEN  WHO  ONCE  WERE  BABES        145 

front  door  where  there  was. a  great  flagstone,  and  had 
dropped  it  there  with  a  splendid  crash  that  was  like 
music  to  his  ears;  after  which  he  had  returned  for 
another  and  another,  until  he  had  smashed  five  of  them, 
when  his  father  who  had  followed  him  to  see  what  he 
was  at,  had  taken  him  in  hand.  "  It  was  so  vividly  im- 
printed on  my  mind,"  he  added  with  a  comical  little  smile, 
'*  that  for  years  after  I  used  to  dread  to  take  a  piece  of 
glassware  in  my  hand." 

"  Surely  you  were  not  whipped,  Caspar,  when  you 
were  only  two  years  old  ?  "  asked  Ellen  anxiously. 

"  Why  not  ?  All  children  are  born  anarchists,"  he  said, 
"  and  they  have  got  to  learn  obedience  and  submission  to 
the  laws  of  the  community,  somewhere  along  the  line, 
and,"  he  added  in  an  amusing  way  of  his  own,  "  I  should 
think  a  slap  at  two  years  old  is  more  efficacious  than  a 
cowhiding  at  twelve." 

Lockwood  repudiated  the  idea,  and  insisted  that  it 
broke  a  man's  spirit,  and  that  beatings  were  only  meant 
for  horses,  women  and  dogs. 

At  this  brutal  speech,  a  strange  sort  of  silence  fell  upon 
them  all.  It  was  broken  by  Quincy  standing  up  to  his 
full  height  and  demanding,  "  Shall  I  lick  him,  Mrs.  Mack- 
intosh ?  "  in  a  half-f unning  way  that  covered  the  awk- 
wardness of  the  moment. 

With  a  common  impulse  the  women  and  children  with- 
drew from  the  camp-fire,  much  as  they  did  from  th^  hall 
when  Tannhauser  indulged  in  his  brutality,  amid  the 
men  faithful  to  their  gentler  selves  in  the  presence  of 
their  womenkind.  So  Diantha  thought  as  she  sought 
the  tent.  She  had  obtained  some  glimmerings  of  truth, 


146  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

however,  from  the  half -confessions  of  these  men,  and 
she  decided  that  it  was  the  undisciplined  boy  that  made 
the  black  sheep  in  later  years. 

That  there  had  to  be  some  strength  of  character  and 
some  stubbornness  to  begin  with  in  order  to  have  the  es- 
sential quality  of  manhood,  she  was  convinced.  But  that 
this  quality  had  to  be  brought  under  cultivation,  like 
the  tempering  of  the  steel,  by  test  and  discipline  and  con- 
trol, in  order  to  evolve  the  man  worth  producing. 

The  heredity  of  the  boy  might  play  an  important  part, 
and  so  might  the  maternal  prenatal  influence,  but  she 
resolved  that  the  environment  of  the  child  was  the  most 
essential  of  all  to  the  making  of  a  good  man. 

"  How  the  men  can  sit  back  and  let  that  Lockwood 
insult  the  women  on  top  of  all  the  other  harm  he  has 
brought  to  Boulder,"  exclaimed  Mrs.  Watson,  passion- 
ately, with  a  bit  of  red  flaming  in  her  thin  cheek,  "  I 
can't  understand.  If  I  were  a  man  — "  and  then  she  bit 
her  lip  to  keep  from  saying  more. 

"  You  would  do  as  they  do,"  remonstrated  Miss  Read, 
gently.  "  They  are  angry  enough  to  kill  him,  but  they 
put  up  with  it  for  our  sakes,  they  bear  it  because  — " 

"  Because  they  are  just  plain  North  Americans,"  sug- 
gested Diantha,  quoting  from  Everton. 

"  Never  fear,"  said  Ellen  as  she  lay  Tommy  down 
upon  the  pillow,  "  Barry's  day  of  reckoning  is  coming, 
it  is  coming  as  certain  as  day  follows  night." 


CHAPTER  XXII 

THE   MISCHIEF   OF   SLEEPING   TOMMY 

IN  the  midst  of  the  preparations  for  retiring,  Ellen 
gave  a  glance  at  Diantha  and  remarked  she  supposed 
it  was  all  settled,  and  when  Diantha  pretended  ignorance 
of  her  meaning,  Ellen  told  her  it  was  enough  for  her  to 
see  Caspar's  ring  on  her  hand.  "  Are  you  not  engaged 
to  Caspar?"  she  asked. 

Diantha  looked  doubtfully  at  the  golden  circlet.  "  I 
suppose  so,  but  I  don't  know."  And  Ellen  fell  back  on 
her  old  Scotch  saying,  "Of  all  the  twa's— ." 

"  I  know  it,"  admitted  Diantha,  "  we  are  so  queer  we 
don't  ever  talk  sense  —  we  only  have  controversies  all 
the  time." 

"  Oh,  I  wouldn't  begin  that  way,"  said  Mrs.  Mackin- 
tosh. "  You  must  forgive  him  the  small  faults,  because 
you  know  he  has  the  rare  virtues,  the  essential  qualities, 
because  he  is  a  good  man,  and  good  men  have  their  faults, 
too.  Nobody  is  perfect,  you  know.  If  you  want  to  be 
happy,  take  my  advice,  and  give  in  on  the  little  things, 
and  save  all  these  scrambles  and  fusses  and  unnecessary 
arguments,  they  don't  pay." 

Diantha  knew  she  had  her  faults  also.  Nothing  would 
have  made  her  more  light-hearted  than  to  have  flung  away 
all  the  concealment  and  calculation  that  held  her  bound, 
in  the  compact  with  herself.  It  was  an  unaccustomed 

147 


148  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

sensation  to  feel  that  her  heart  was  pulling  against  her 
head,  that  she  desired  most  of  all  to  push  away  the  ob- 
stacles that  stood  between  her  and  Caspar  and  to  plunge 
into  the  future  with  him,  recklessly  without  regard  to 
sense  or  reason.  That  she  might  almost  have  done,  had 
it  not  been  for  the  deception  that  also  stood  between  them 
and  every  day  assumed  larger  proportions,  till  she  was 
no  longer  free  to  choose.  Some  day  she  would  have  to 
reveal  to  him  the  fact  that  she  was  not  the  support  of 
her  family,  and  that  she  had  rnore  money  than  he  had  or 
could  hope  to  have,  for  years. 

She  pushed  the  thought  from  her  impatiently.  She 
would  explain  it  to  him  some  day  very  soon,  and  it  would 
be  all  right. 

She  opened  her  nightgown  bag  and  drew  out  her  little 
belongings.  A  feeling  of  recoil  came  over  her,  which 
she  could  not  understand  at  first,  till  she  discovered  it 
came  from  a  sticky  sort  of  substance  on  her  gown. 
Puzzled  by  this  discovery  she  began  to  look  for  her  little 
hand-bag,  and  found  it  also  was  peculiar  to  the  touch. 
She  investigated  the  little  notebook  within,  and  was 
angered  to  discover  that  its  fair  pages  were  not  as  clean 
as  they  should  have  been. 

A  touch  of  suspicion  came  upon  her,  and  she  glowered 
at  Tommy,  now  lying  in  his  little  white  gown  on  the  pil- 
low with  his  golden  halo  of  hair  about  his  pink  and  white 
face  and  his  long  lashes  curling  up  from  his  closed  lids, 
the  picture  of  cherubic  innocence.  "  All  children  are 
born  anarchists,"  she  thought  to  herself. 

All  at  once  she  remembered  her  compact  with  herself, 
made,  up  on  the  top  of  the  world,  on  the  grand  old  jutting 


THE  MISCHIEF  OF  SLEEPING  TOMMY          149 

peak  that  day,  not  to  be  so  petty  and  small,  that  she  would 
be  more  kind,  more  generous,  more  pitiful,  as  a  result 
of  the  splendid  revelation  made  to  her  that  glorious  day. 
She  felt  ashamed  of  herself  and  tried  to  overlook  the 
thought  of  the  child  having  meddled  with  her  belongings, 
as  a  trivial  thing,  not  worth  noticing.  Down  deep  in  her 
sub-consciousness,  however,  she  felt  a  strange  prophetic 
sense  of  coming  trouble  oppressing  her  that  she  could  not 
define.  Toward  morning  she  went  to  the  door  of  the  tent 
to  get  a  drink  from  the  jug  of  water  there  and  was  sur- 
prised to  hear  the  softened  sound  of  the  tramp  of  a  horse. 
She  peeped  out  and  saw  it  was  Watson  leading  an  animal 
to  the  corral  and  he  seemed  more  shadowy  than  ever. 
When  she  wakened  in  the  morning,  she  decided  she  must 
have  dreamed  it. 


CHAPTER  XXIII 

THE   GRAND    CARAVAN 

THAT  Lockwood  was  in  brutal  high  spirits  that 
morning  of  the  breaking  of  camp  and  making  ready 
for  the  return  to  Boulder,  he  made  every  one  feel.  He 
succeeded  in  insulting  nearly  every  one  with  his  uncalled- 
for  hilarity  at  their  expense.  John  Quincy  he  addressed 
boldly  as  "  Softy  " ;  Caspar's  helpfulness  he  announced  in 
circus-style,  as  "  the  feats  of  the  modern  Atlas  who  thinks 
he  is  carrying  the  world  on  his  back  " ;  and  Everton's  ef- 
forts to  "  strike  "  tent,  he  heralded  as  "  the  act  of  the 
great  Gyasticutis,  the  latest  importation  from  New  York 
City,  in  his  magnificent  feat  of  climbing  a  ridgepole  when 
the  pole  is  on  the  ground.'* 

Mrs.  Watson  gazed  into  Diantha's  eyes  peculiarly  and 
said  faintly,  "  That  man,  he  has  been  the  ruin  of  my 
life,"  and  then  she  went  on  to  say  in  an  ordinary  way  that 
she  had  really  made  some  very  nice  tissue-roses  from  the 
fashion-magazine  she  had  sent  to  her. 

Early  in  the  morning,  John  had  asked  Diantha  to  ride 
over  on  the  trail  with  him  to  the  wagons,  and  she  had 
assented,  if  he  would  come  and  take  her  over  the  very 
first  one  of  them  all,  in  the  hope  of  escaping  any  further 
attention  from  Lockwood.  However,  Lockwood  strode 
up  to  her  familiarly  and  holding  his  animal  by  the  bridle 
said  significantly,  "  Going  with  me  ?  " 

150 


THE  GRAND  CARAVAN  151 

"  I'm  very  sorry,"  she  murmured  —  and  then  John 
came  hastening  to  her  rescue.  She  decided  that  not  to 
save  her  own  or  anybody's  life  would  she  parley  a  mo- 
ment more  with  the  brute.  It  was  not  wise  for  a  woman 
to  deal  with  so  dangerous  a  creature, —  a  being  lost  to  the 
first  principles  of  manhood.  To  escape  from  Lockwod 
was  the  only  thought  in  her  mind. 

Gladly  she  accepted  John's  help  to  mount  the  horse, 
and  gladly  she  found  herself  behind  him  and  on  the  trail 
and  on  the  way  across  the  river. 

John  confided  to  her  as  they  went,  that  he  was  quite 
sure  that  Lockwood's  horse  had  been  driven  hard  during 
the  night,  and  he  couldn't  make  it  out ;  for  Lockwood  him- 
self had  slept  in  camp  all  night,  for  he  saw  him  "  lying 
between  Caspar  and  Everton  when  he  woke." 

Diantha  asked  how  any  one  could  ride  Lockwood's 
horse  and  he  not  know  about  it. 

But  John  explained  that  Lockwood  evidently  did  know 
all  about  it ;  for  when  he  himself  had  told  him  about  the 
mare  being  splashed  and  about  the  river-mud  on  her 
hoofs,  he  had  cursed  him  and  had  told  him  to  mind  his 
own  business,  and  had  threatened  him  that  he  would  get 
even. 

"  And  that  was  why  he  was  calling  me,  '  Softy/  "  said 
poor  John,  still  resentful  over  this  insult. 

Diantha  tried  to  soothe  his  temper  by  assuring  him 
that  Lockwood  served  as  an  excellent  example  of  the 
horrible  kind  of  monster  that  any  sensible  young  man 
would  take  warning  by.  John  agreed  that  he  ought  not 
to  have  gambled  with  him  when  they  were  out  camping 
that  way,  but  that  he  had  only  lost  twenty  dollars  to 


152  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

him.  And  Diantha  told  him  that  some  day  his  wife  and 
children  would  be  starving  doubtless,  while  he  was  play- 
ing cards  and  drinking  with  some  monster  just  to  please 
him. 

"  I  should  think  you  would  brace  up  and  try  to  learn 
how  to  be  disagreeable,  for  a  change,"  she  observed, 
dryly.  Nobody  could  do  anything  with  a  fool !  She  was 
afraid  poor  John  was  already  past  praying  for. 

"  I  was  afraid  you  wouldn't  like  it,"  he  said  simply. 

And  she  felt  sorry  for  him  in  spite  of  herself.  "  But 
what  can  any  one  expect  of  a  boy  brought  up  by  paid 
nurses, —  and  in  a  city  ?  "  she  thought  to  herself. 

She  stood  waiting  for  the  women  and  children  to  ar- 
rive, and  was  pleased  to  see  Everton  coming  with  two 
little  ones  and  very  much  amused  at  the  whole  per- 
formance. She  took  them  down  and  then  he  went  back 
for  others.  When  Caspar  came  he  turned  his  face  from 
her  because  she  had  not  waited  for  him  to  fetch  her 
over.  At  last  all  had  arrived,  and  John  was  riding  up 
and  down  in  a  boyish  sort  of  way,  with  Lockwood  look- 
ing on,  when  a  strange  thing  happened,  which  no  one 
could  explain  nor  comprehend. 

Hardly  had  the  last  woman  been  landed,  when  Lock- 
wood  made  it  appear  that  his  horse  had  become  frac- 
tious, and  that  he  must  conquer  it,  and  so  amid  the 
plunging  and  curvetting  of  the  frightened  beast  it  ran 
against  the  horse  that  John  was  riding,  reared  up,  and 
before  any  one  knew  what  had  happened,  poor  John 
Quincy  was  thrown  off  and  lying  silent  in  the  middle 
of  the  road. 

A  great  fright  came  over  everyone.    Lockwood  threw 


THE  GRAND  CARAVAN  153 

himself  down  off  his  horse  in  pretended  solicitude  and 
said  he  had  thought  that  Quincy  was  such  a  cowboy  he 
would  stick  to  a  horse  better  than  that,  that  he  was  only 
in  fun  and  thought  it  would  amuse  the  women  and  chil- 
dren. Everton  in  an  authoritative  manner  thrust  Lock- 
wood  away  and  told  him  he  deserved  to  be  thrashed. 
Caspar  helped  him  to  lift  John  up  from  the  dust,  put 
some  whiskey  to  his  lips,  and  then  lay  him  on  some 
blankets  by  the  roadside.  Presently  John  opened  his 
eyes  and  a  great  relief  came  to  them  all. 

Ellen  took  Diantha's  arm  and  led  her  off  to  walk  up 
and  down  the  road.  She  was  very  pale. 

"  There  was  murder  in  his  face,"  said  Ellen.  "  Surely 
you  don't  think  he  could  have  done  that  out  of  jealousy, 
do  you  ?  " 

"  Jealousy/'  Diantha  echoed,  vaguely. 

"  My  dear  girl,  didn't  you  get  off  his  horse  and  ride 
with  Caspar,  going  over,  and  didn't  you  refuse  him  com- 
ing back  and  ride  with  poor  John?  Men  don't  forgive 
that  kind  of  thing." 

"  But,"  said  Diantha,  angrily,  "  he  is  married  and  has 
a  wife  and  children.  I  think  it  is  just  his  general  cus- 
sedness,  if  only  some  one  would  give  him  a  good  thrash- 
ing!" 

And  Ellen  said,  "Amen!" 

The  procession  was  ready  to  start,  and  they  were  re- 
called by  the  stentorian  tones  of  "  All  aboard,"  uttered 
by  Dow,  the  grizzled  citizen. 

When  Diantha  and  Ellen  hastened  to  their  places 
they  found  that  John  had  been  persuaded  to  ride  in  the 
break  with  them.  All  the  color  had  left  his  face  and 


154  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

he  found  he  was  badly  jarred  and  his  arm  sprained. 
He  was  being  congratulated  by  Everton  for  having  es- 
caped without  broken  bones. 

"  But,  I  can't  see,  even  now,  what  he  wanted  to  do  it 
for,"  said  John  innocently.  In  answer  to  this,  Everton 
gave  a  reproachful  glance  at  Diantha,  as  if  in  mute  dis- 
approval. Caspar  rode  behind,  and  she  began  to  realize 
that  this  was  the  accepted  explanation  of  John's  mis- 
fortune. 

She  herself  knew  better.  Did  it  have  something  to 
do  with  the  knowledge  John  possessed  of  the  secret 
night-ride  of  Lockwood's  mare,  which  she  saw  Watson 
leading  to  the  corral  in  the  early  morning? 

The  major-domo  cracked  his  whip  and  they  were  off, 
at  the  head  of  the  procession  with  their  out-riders  add- 
ing to  the  gayety  of  the  scene,  as  they  passed  by  pine 
mountain  and  crystal  stream  through  the  pine-fragrant 
land.  The  children  began  to  sing  "  My  Country,  'tis  of 
thee,"  in  the  midst  of  which,  Diantha  saw  that  Lock- 
wood  had  dared  to  come  and  ride  close  to  the  wheel 
on  her  side.  He  seemed  like  a  portentous  darkness  in 
her  life. 

"  When  are  you  thinking  of  leaving  us,  Miss  March  ?  " 
he  said  significantly,  and  loud  enough  for  all  to  hear. 

"  A  week  from  Saturday,"  she  said  faintly,  "  unless  I 
change  my  mind." 

"  Are  you  going  back  to  dear  old  New  York?  "  began 
John,  who  was  in  a  high  fever  by  this  time,  "  because 
if  you  are,  I  believe  I  will  go,  too." 

Lockwood  kept  close  to  the  wheel  and  began  saying 
things  in  a  low  tone;  that  she  needn't  think  she  could 


THE  GRAND  CARAVAN 

fool  him  about  her  not  knowing  Ever  ton  before  she  came 
to  Boulder,  that  he  knew  Everton  was  in  love  with 
her,  and  that  she  could  do  anything  with  him  she  wanted. 
And  that  he  believed  she  was  a  spy  sent  out  from  New 
York  from  the  first. 

This  was  beyond  human  endurance.  Diantha  looked 
back  and  saw  Everton  and  Caspar  riding,  one  each  side 
of  the  spring-wagon  where  were  Miss  Read,  Mrs.  Watson 
and  several  of  the  little  ones.  Her  brain  worked  quickly 
in  answer  to  her  heart's  desire  to  be  there  instead  of 
where  she  was. 

"  Oh,  I  must  speak  to  Miss  Read  about  the  festival," 
she  said,  standing  up,  suddenly.  "  Let  me  go  there  and 
Mrs.  Watson  can  take  my  place." 

The  cavalcade  came  to  a  stop  and  presently  Diantha 
was  clambering  up  in  the  seat  of  the  wagon  beside  Miss 
Read.  What  a  relief  it  was  to  find  herself  in  such  con- 
genial company!  Caspar,  who  was  riding  on  her  side, 
gave  her  one  of  those  swift  glances  of  his,  and  she  felt 
that  he  was  not  altogether  angry  at  her.  While  Everton 
was  saying  something  about  the  scenery,  Caspar  rode 
close  to  the  wheel. 

"  Can  you  ride  on  a  man's  saddle  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  Of  course  I  can,"  she  replied,  promptly. 

At  that,  Caspar  spoke  up  and  said,  "  What's  the  mat- 
ter with  you  letting  Miss  March  have  a  try  at  your 
chestnut,  Mr.  Everton  ? "  and  Diantha  was  amazed  at 
his  boldness.  "  Then  you  can  take  her  place  beside 
Miss  Read,  while  we  take  a  little  spin." 

She  saw  a  strange  look  come  over  Everton's  face, 
but  he  assented  in  that  courteous  way  of  his,  and  pres- 


156  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

ently,  they  two,  Caspar  and  she,  were  galloping  along 
together,  ahead  of  the  procession,  as  free  as  air. 

"  Isn't  this  grand  ? "  said  he,  smiling,  and  his  eyes 
fairly  gleaming  with  mischievous  delight. 

"  Oh,  but  you  are  brazen,"  she  said. 

"  Well,  I  thought  I  had  punished  you  sufficiently  and 
that  I  would  reward  you  for  a  change/'  said  he  gaily. 

"  Punish?  reward?  "  she  echoed,  "  what  have  I  done?  " 

She  decided  that  that  was  the  fascinating  thing  about 
Caspar,  he  kept  her  in  a  continual  state  of  surprise. 

"You  didn't  meet  me  for  a  little  talk  last  night 
although  I  waited,  and  you  went  over  the  river  with 
Quincy  instead  of  with  your  own  liege  lord  that  I  am 
going  to  be  one  of  these  fine  days." 

"  Well,  of  all  things ! "  she  gasped,  "  of  all  the  over- 
bearing— "  but  in  her  heart  she  decided  it  was  the  most 
fascinating  kind  of  overbearingness  she  had  ever  come 
across.  She  admitted  in  anybody  else  it  would  probably 
sound  like  brutality,  but  that  in  Caspar  it  was  authority 
and  masterfulness. 

"  I  want  to  see  you  and  have  a  good  long  talk  where 
there  will  be  no  one  around,"  said  he  impatiently.  "  We 
have  got  to  make  plans  for  the  future,  you  and  I !  I 
wish  there  was  some  way  of  getting  rid  of  these  miser- 
able people."  And  he  waved  his  hand  in  the  direction 
of  the  procession  behind  them. 

"  Nice  people,"  she  corrected,  thinking  of  Ellen  and 
others,  and  the  generous  man  who  had  loaned  her  the 
horse  she  was  riding  on. 

"  Nasty  people,"  he  insisted,  "  they  stand  in  the  way, 
keeping  me  from  you  worse  than  Gorgons.  I  could 


THE  GRAND  CARAVAN  157 

chop  off  the  head  of  Gorgons  —  but  these  humans  are 
merely  pestiferous.'* 

Diantha  looked  at  him  in  amazement.  "  Why,  I  didn't 
know  you  could  be  so  savage." 

Then  it  was  he  drew  his  horse  in  close  to  hers  and 
looked  into  her  eyes  with  that  illumination-smile  of  his 
that  took  away  the  need  of  any  reply. 

They  slowed  down  and  presently  he  was  making  some 
mad  remarks  about  their  getting  married  that  week,  so 
they  could  have  a  moment's  peace  together. 

She  looked  at  him  intently  and  reminded  him  that  they 
had  nothing  to  get  married  on.  And  then  he  laughed, 
and  said  there  was  a  change  coming  in  his  fortunes, 
but  he  could  not  tell  her  about  it  just  yet. 

The  rumbling  of  wheels  in  the  distance  told  of  the  ad- 
vancing caravan  and  by  the  alarm  of  her  conscience 
Diantha  became  aware  that  she  was  indulging  in  a  for- 
bidden delight.  They  were  galloping  ahead  again  but 
she  knew  it  must  come  to  an  end.  She  could  almost  feel 
everybody  talking  about  her  for  this  recklessness  of  hers 
in  going  off  with  Caspar  and,  in  sight  of  them  all,  show- 
ing themselves  off  so  absurdly. 

"  Caspar,  I  am  going  back,"  she  said  regretfully. 
"But  I  am  going  to  go  over  to  the  office  for  a  half 
hour,  to-night,  to  post  the  books  from  Mr.  Harris'  ac- 
counts, so  I  shall  start  all  right  to-morrow.  Mrs.  Mack- 
intosh will  come  for  me  at  half  past  nine.  You  can 
come  fifteen  minutes  before  she  does,  if  you  want  to." 
He  announced  he  wanted  an  hour,  but  she  only  laughed 
and  said  they  had  years  before  them,  and  for  him  to 
save  some  of  his  talk  for  afterwards. 


158  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

She  wheeled  her  horse  and  went  galloping  back  to  the 
caravan,  and  there  was  nothing  left  for  him  to  do  but  to 
follow. 

But  when  Diantha  returned  to  her  seat  by  Miss  Read 
she  discovered  that  Lockwood  had  changed  his  place 
and  had  become  outrider  in  the  position  vacated  by 
Caspa'r.  As  it  would  only  make  a  scene  to  try  to  oust 
him,  Caspar  accepted  the  situation  as  well  as  he  could, 
but  it  was  not  without  a  dark  frown  that  he  fell  in  be- 
hind, moodily,  by  himself. 

For  Diantha's  sake  he  had  borne  much,  but  there  was 
a  limit  to  a  man's  endurance  and  he  felt  that  that  limit 
was  being  reached  rapidly. 

"  Whom  the  gods  would  destroy  they  first  make  con- 
ceited," was  Diantha's  thought  as  she  found  herself  again 
listening  to  the  mocking  words  of  Lockwood  determined 
to  make  her  pay  dearly  for  the  pretended  peace  between 
them.  "  What  makes  you  think  you  can  pull  the  wool 
over  my  eyes  ?  "  he  began  familiarly.  "  Just  admit  that 
you  came  back  here  to  get  off  with  Caspar  —  that  was 
all  a  blind  of  yours  about  wanting  to  talk  with  Miss 
Read  —  she's  not  heard  a  word  about  any  old  festival !  " 

Driven  almost  to  desperation  by  the  insolence  of  Lock- 
wood,  yet  Diantha  kept  up  a  bravery  she  did  not  feel. 
She  must  not  let  him  beat  her  like  this  she  decided,  and 
turned  at  once  to  her  friend,  the  school-teacher. 

"  Why,  Miss  Read,"  she  exclaimed,  "  haven't  we  been 
talking  about  getting  up  an  operetta  by  the  children  for 
weeks  and  weeks  ?  " 

Miss  Read  assented  readily.  "And  hasn't  Mrs.  Wat- 


THE  GRAND  CARAVAN  159 

son  been  making  tissue-roses  for  the  decorations  for  a 
week  past  ?  "  She  nodded  gravely. 

"  Well,"  said  Diantha,  her  eyes  gleaming  with  resent- 
ment and  determination  to  show  this  creature  she  was 
not  to  be  humiliated  by  him  easily.  "If  our  entertain- 
ment is  not  going  to  be  a  festival,  I  should  like  to  know 
what  you  would  call  it.  Shall  we  put  you  down  for  five 
dollars,  Mr.  Lockwood  ?  " 

He  laughed  in  an  insulting  way  and  said  something 
about  her  being  so  smart  she'd  beat  the  devil  himself. 
Then  it  was  that  she  looked  imploringly  into  Everton's 
eyes,  who  at  that  moment  had  caught  a  syllable  or  two 
and  was  gazing  at  her  puzzled.  At  that  look  of  hers 
for  protection  he  broke  out  into  an  assertion  of  au- 
thority, that  made  the  lightnings  flash  from  his  eyes. 

"  For  God's  sake,  Barry,"  he  called  out,  fiercely,  "  if 
you  don't  go  away  and  let  Miss  March  alone,  I'll  thrash 
you  within  an  inch  of  your  life ! " 

Lockwood  was  defiant,  and  declared  it  would  take 
two  to  settle  who  would  do  the  thrashing. 

Everybody  was  frightened.  A  scene  and  fight  seemed 
imminent.  What  a  shocking  end  to  the  delights  of  the 
camping  trip! 

"Wait  till  we  get  to  Boulder,"  cried  Diantha, 
promptly,  "  don't  frighten  the  poor  little  children  so, 
let  us  get  them  home  first !  " 

All  the  outriders  came  galloping  to  the  scene  at  the 
sound  of  the  voices  of  the  children  crying  in  fright  as 
Lockwood  continued  his  threats.  The  old  men  sur- 
rounded him  and  begged  him  not  to  make  a  fool  of  him- 


160  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

self,  scaring  the  little  ones  that  way.  In  response  to  their 
entreaties  he  agreed  to  go  ahead  and  ride  on  to  Boulder 
with  one  of  their  number. 

Everyone  breathed  with  relief  to  see  the  pair  of  horse- 
men galloping  off  and  fading  into  the  distance  before 
them. 

The  rest  of  the  horsemen  by  common  consent  fell  be- 
hind the  train  and  together  with  Caspar  and  Everton 
agreed  that  something  would  have  to  be  done  and  at 
once,  to  put  Lockwood  under  bonds  to  keep  the  peace 
or  else  he  would  have  to  leave  town.  "  And  I,"  said 
grizzled  old  Dow,  "  propose  we  send  that  Watson  with 
him,  fur  it  was  them  two  as  made  us  make  sech  fools 
of  ourselves  when  they  told  us  a  new  bookkeeper  was 
coming  to  take  the  bread  out  of  our  mouths.  And  I 
tell  you  what  it  is.  That  Miss  March  not  only  forgive 
us  fur  mobbin'  her  when  she  fust  come,  but  she  has 
brought  the  bread  of  life  to  the  women  and  children  of 
our  God-forsaken  little  town  of  Boulder.  We  owe  her 
a  mighty  big  debt  and  we  ought  to  pay  it !  " 

"  That's  what,"  went  up  unanimously. 

It  was  agreed  to  have  the  Justice  of  the  Peace  come 
up  from  the  Junction  that  evening  and  that  they  would 
all  meet  in  the  office  of  the  Lumber  Company  and  settle 
the  matter  for  once  and  all.  "  This  sort  of  thing  can't 
be  let  go,"  said  the  grizzled  citizen,  grimly,  "  fur  if  we 
don't  see  to  havin'  law  and  order  respected,  we'll  be 
havin'  a  man  fur  breakfast  in  Boulder  and  then  Judge 
Lynch  '11  be  takin'  a  hand. 

"  That's  what ! "  said  the  chorus  of  men,  with  fixed 
jaws  and  sinister  flashes  of  fire  from  their  eyes. 


CHAPTER  XXIV 

THE   INSINUATIONS   OF   LOCKWOOD 

T3  Y  the  time  the  caravan  reached  Boulder,  Lockwood 
-•^  had  changed  his  temper  with  his  clothes,  and  came 
forth  to  welcome  everyone  with  an  over-done  politeness 
that  was  almost  more  annoying  than  his  brutality. 

After  dinner,  Diantha  went  over  to  the  office  with 
Harris,  who  had  laid  aside  his  last  crutch  now,  and  was 
beaming  happy.  "  I  have  you  to  thank,"  he  said  to 
Diantha,  "  I  said  you  were  a  godsend,  a  good  woman  is 
always  that,  you  know." 

She  was  touched  deeply  by  his  words,  but  her  thoughts 
were  troubled  by  strange  prophetic  forebodings.  She 
wondered  why  she  was  thinking  of  the  chicken-yard  at 
home,  and  how  she  remembered  the  fowls  all  running 
at  the  sudden  sight  of  a  dark  shadow  falling  upon  the 
ground?  Oh,  it  was  the  fear  of  a  hawk  that  was  filling 
them  with  fear,  and  that  was  why  they  fled,  of  course! 
But  what  did  that  have  to  do  with  her?  Was  there  an 
adumbration  of  a  hawk-like  woe  falling  upon  her  path- 
way ? 

She  felt  weary  and  sleepy  and  that  her  brain  was  in- 
dulging in  unconscious  cerebration.  She  resolved  to 
add  the  two  days'  account  that  Harris  had  kept  for  her, 
give  him  the  needful  amount  back  for  what  he  had  him- 
self spent,  and  call  her  duty  ended. 

161 


162  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

And  yet  under  all  her  strange  foreboding,  she  was 
troubled  with  another  matter;  and  it  was  not  Caspar's 
but  Everton's  eyes  that  seemed  looking  into  her  very 
soul.  Could  it  be  possible  that  she  was  doing  him  an 
injustice?  Was  he  better  than  she  thought?  Did  he 
really  mean  what  he  said  ?  It  almost  made  her  wretched, 
but  she  drove  the  disturbing  thought  from  her  in  a  kind 
of  terror,  as  one  would  a  bat  that  threatened  to  become 
entangled  in  one's  hair.  She  had  heard  him,  himself, 
admit  his  own  unworthiness.  If  she  had  not  done  so, 
she  would  never  have  come  West,  she  thought,  never 
have  seen  Caspar ! 

"  We  may  as  well  set  this  straight,  Mr.  Harris,"  she 
said  sleepily,  li  I'll  give  you,  the  firm  owes  you,  three 
hundred  and  fifty  dollars,  will  you  please  open  the 
safe?" 

Harris  smiled.  "  You  forget,  you're  the  only  one  who 
can  do  that." 

She  laughed,  got  down  from  her  stool,  went  to  the 
safe  and  began  to  work  out  the  combination.  "  Of 
course,"  she  said,  "  I  am  so  tired  I  did  forget ! " 

"  Never  have  seen  Caspar,"  her  mind  resumed,  in  a 
by-play  of  her  sub-consciousness,  "  Caspar  the  sweetest, 
cleanest  man  —  free  from  all  those  usual  concomitants 
of  a  man  —  no  tobacco  —  what  was  making  her  think 
of  stale  tobacco-smoke,  she  wondered  dimly. 

She  knew  she  would  see  the  trays  inside,  the  rolls  of 
gold  twenties  by  themselves,  and  the  tens  and  the  fives, 
and  the  rolls  of  silver,  just  where  she  had  placed  them. 
She  heard  some  one  coming  in,  turned  and  was  surprised 
to  see  that  it  was  Everton  and  he  seemed  to  have  some- 


THE  INSINUATIONS  OF  LOCKWOOD        163 

thing  confidential  to  say  to  Harris.  Well,  in  a  moment 
more  she  would  be  free  from  business  and  ready  to  go 
home  with  Ellen. 

The  door  yielded  and  threw  open  to  her  touch,  and 
again  she  thought  of  tobacco,  and  wondered  why  she 
could  not  see  into  the  safe  more  clearly. 

Then  her  heart  stood  still  with  a  shock  of  feeling  that 
something  was  the  matter,  followed  by  a  harder  pump- 
ing than  ever. 

"  Bring  a  light,  quick !  "  she  said. 

Harris  picked  up  the  lamp  and  held  it  so  the  rays  of 
light  could  penetrate  into  the  darkest  corners.  She  was 
not  mistaken,  her  eyes  had  not  perceived  what  she  ex- 
pected to  find  there  for  the  very  good  reason  that  what 
ought  to  have  been  there,  was  absent.  "  The  gold  has 
been  taken,"  she  said,  wide-awake  now,  and  every  pulse 
in  her  body  beating  madly. 

"  By  the  lord  Harry!  "  ejaculated  Harris  gazing  where 
she  pointed,  to  the  empty  trays. 

"What  is  it?"  asked  Everton  lightly.  "Not  a 
mouse  ?  " 

They  neither  of  them  could  make  any  reply,  dumb  in 
the  presence  of  the  awful  calamity  which  might  involve 
them  both.  At  last  Harris  managed  to  whisper,  "  Gone 
—  gold  —  all  —  gone !  " 

"  What,  a  robbery  ?  "  exclaimed  Everton  in  that  high- 
pitched  accent  of  incredulity  of  his.  "  Impossible !  " 

"  You  may  well  say,  '  impossible,' "  spoke  Diantha, 
white  as  a  statue,  "  for  here  am  I,  the  only  one  who  has 
known  the  combination  for  a  whole  month." 

"  Yet    the    gold    is    gone  —  nevertheless,"     repeated 


164  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

Harris,  like  a  chorus,  still  peering  into  the  depths  of  the 
safe. 

It  was  a  relief  to  the  tension  of  the  moment,  when 
Caspar  entered  and  at  once  Diantha  told  him  the  dread- 
ful news.  "  I  guess  it  is  the  same  old  work  that  was 
going  on  —  before  you  came."  He  was  interrupted  by 
Everton  who  bade  him  to  consider  himself  a  witness  to 
tell  all  he  knew.  And  then  he  stopped,  for  standing  in 
the  open  door  was  Lockwood  with  his  most  scornful 
smile  and  smoking  lazily,  letting  the  wreaths  of  smoke 
puff  from  his  lips  in  an  almost  studied  effort  as  if  to 
show  that  there  was  nothing  on  his  mind. 

"  Hello/'  he  said  familiarly,  "  what's  up  ?  I  saw  the 
light  going  and  thought  I'd  join  the  conclave." 

Then  it  was  that  Diantha  remembered  the  faint  smell 
of  stale  tobacco,  when  she  opened  the  safe.  It  was  not 
in  itself  very  important,  but  added  to  the  muddle  of 
books,  the  shadowy  Watson  discharged  from  his  place, 
the  attempted  bribery  by  means  of  the  diamond  ring 
and  the  roll  of  bills,  it  left  no  doubt  in  her  mind  as  to 
who  it  was  that  had  so  cleverly  made  off  with  the 
missing  gold.  That  he  had  ability,  and  that  he  had 
covered  his  tracks  successfully  she  was  well  aware. 
She  saw  that  she  had  "  gambled  "  on  her  wits  to  fetch 
her  out  unscathed  in  vain,  so  far  as  her  business  repu- 
tation was  concerned.  He  had  beaten  her. 

"  Let  nobody  talk  to  me  about  a  devil  with  horns  and 
tail,"  she  thought  to  herself.  "  Those  essentials  belong 
to  a  poor  innocent  bovine,  but  picture  him  with  upturned 
corners  to  his  mouth,  which  is  curved  into  a  mocking 
smile,  indent  creases  down  his  cheeks,  and  put  red  rims 


THE  INSINUATIONS  OF  LOCKWOOD  165 

around  his  eyes  if  you  want  to  see  a  real  creature  of 
black  malevolence." 

According  to  the  understanding,  Mrs.  Mackintosh 
came  in  saying  it  was  high  time  Miss  March  was  at 
home,  but  the  words  died  away  as  she  saw  the  tense 
white  faces  of  the  little  group  and  only  Lockwood  smil- 
ing as  if  in  great  spirits.  Diantha  turned  to  her  for 
sympathy  in  her  wrought-up  state  of  mind  and  ex- 
claimed, "  What  do  you  think,  Mrs.  Mackintosh,  some 
one  has  robbed  the  safe !  " 

"  Robbed  the  safe,"  repeated  Lockwood  in  over-acted 
theatrical  tones.  "  My  God !  when  was  it  done  ?  Who 
saw  the  cash  there  last?  Something  ought  to  be  done 
at  once !  Shall  I  telegraph  for  a  detective  ?  " 

He  threw  away  his  cigarette  and  became  most  alert, 
peering  into  the  safe  as  if  he  could  discover  what  the 
others  could  not. 

Not  till  then  did  the  absolute  deviltry  of  the  plot  dawn 
on  Diantha  in  all  its  cleverness  and  malignity. 

Everton  held  his  hand  to  stay  the  over-enthusiastic 
self-appointed  investigator  of  the  crime.  "  Not  until 
we  have  looked  into  the  matter  a  little  ourselves,"  he 
said,  authoritatively. 

But  Lockwood  began  to  bluster  and  to  say  that  he 
was  there  to  represent  his  uncle,  Horace  J.  Lockwood, 
senior  member  of  the  firm,  and  he  went  on  with  protesta- 
tions, as  if  he  were  the  aggrieved  one  to  be  conciliated 
in  the  matter.  "  Well,"  he  demanded,  "  what  are  you 
going  to  do  about  it  ?  There's  no  time  to  waste,  a  detect- 
ive ought  to  be  telegraphed  for, —  he  would  be  here  by 
morning !  " 


166  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

Under  the  coating  of  sunburn  upon  his  cheeks,  Ever- 
ton  showed  a  strange  paleness,  from  the  suppressed  rage 
that  was  consuming  him. 

"  When  was  it  done  ?  That's  what  I  want  to  know," 
repeated  Lockwood  excitedly,  "  was  the  lock  tampered 
with  ?  "  He  examined  it  and  announced,  "  I  see  it  is  all 
right  —  in  good  order."  Then  he  turned  to  Harris  and 
demanded,  "  was  everything  all  right  when  you  left  it 
Friday?" 

"  Of  course  it  was,  man!"  said  Harris  testily,  out- 
raged at  such  a  question.  "  You  might  as  well  ask  me 
point  blank,  did  I  rob  the  safe  ?  " 

"  Not  at  all,  Harris,"  said  he  blandly.  "  I  am  only 
acting  in  the  interest  of  my  uncle,  Horace  J.  Lockwood. 
Who  opened  the  safe  just  now?  I  am  asking  merely  to 
get  some  light  on  the  subject?" 

"  You  know  as  well  as  I  do,"  he  returned  sternly, 
"  that  Miss  March  has  kept  charge  of  the  safe  for  a 
month  past." 

"  Why,  of  course  he  knows  it,"  protested  Diantha, 
impatiently,  "  but  he  wants  to  make  the  point  that  I,  and 
I,  alone,  opened  and  closed  the  safe.  That  is  the  point, 
I  admit,  and  according  to  present  appearances  it  must 
have  been  I  who  took  the  gold.  There  is  no  other  in- 
ference." And  she  gazed  at  him  calmly. 

"  Oh,  no,  not  at  all,"  he  replied,  somewhat  taken  by 
surprise,  "  I  was  merely  inquiring  in  the  interest  of  — " 

"  Shut  up,"  demanded  Harris,  who  was  ashen-white 
with  suppressed  rage  — "  another  word  out  of  your  head, 
and  Til  denounce  you  —  as  you  deserve  —  even  if  you 
have  the  power  to  send  me  to  jail." 


THE  INSINUATIONS  OF  LOCKWOOD         167 

"  Don't  be  silly,  Harris,"  said  Lockwood,  nonchalantly, 
"  I  may  have  had  my  faults  like  any  man,  sowing  my 
wild  oats,  and  who  has  not?  And  I  may  have  borrowed 
small  sums  occasionally  to  help  me  out,  as  I  had  a  right 
to  do,  in  the  position  I  hold,  but  that  does  not  make  me 
'  shut  up '  when  someone  has  got  away  with  a  big  haul 
like  that!" 

"  How  much  is  missing  ? "  asked  Everton.  And 
Harris  told  that  the  men  were  to  have  been  paid  off  on 
the  following  day,  so  that  there  was  something  over  five 
thousand  in  the  safe. 

"  A  big  haul,"  repeated  Lockwood. 

Everton  looked  him  steadily  in  the  eyes  and  said, 
authoritatively,  "  How  did  you  know  it  was  a  big  haul  ? 
I  insist  upon  an  answer." 

"  Why  if  the  gold  was  missing,  as  I  heard  Miss 
March  say,  I  inferred  it  must  be  a  big  haul." 

Diantha  remembered  she  had  used  these  words  to 
Harris  alone,  so  that  he  must  have  been  listening  long 
before  they  knew  it.  But  Lockwood  returned  the  look 
that  Everton  was  giving  him  so  steadily  that  in  a  tale  he 
would  have  proved  himself  guiltless,  and  therefore  free 
from  suspicion  from  that  moment  on  the  strength  of 
that  supposed-to-be  test  of  innocence. 

"  Well,  there  is  no  use  in  our  staying  here,"  said  Mrs. 
Mackintosh.  "  We  can't  fetch  back  the  gold  by  standing 
here  and  talking.  Come,  Miss  March,  let  us  be  going." 

Diantha  stepped  to  the  safe  to  close  it  as  usual,  her 
brain  feeling  that  hawks  and  bats  of  woe  had  indeed 
descended  upon  her,  and  found  herself  blocked  by  Lock- 
wood,  who  had  adroitly  placed  himself  between.  And 


168  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

though  he  was  smiling  in  her  face,  he  said,  "  I  think 
someone  else  had  better  take  charge  of  the  safe  —  or  the 
silver  may  be  missing,  too." 

Hardly  were  the  words  out  of  his  mouth,  when  some- 
thing that  was  launched  through  the  air  like  a  catapult 
struck  him  and  bore  him  down,  at  Diantha's  feet,  and  a 
heap  of  mingled  arms  and  legs  met  her  affrighted 
gaze. 

In  a  few  seconds  there  emerged  one  man  holding  the 
other  by  the  back  of  the  neck  as  one  would  grip  a  puppy 
and  hold  it  forth. 

"  Apologize !  "  came  the  hoarse  voice  of  Caspar,  as 
he  shook  the  form  of  the  other  to  give  emphasis  to  the 
word.  Lockwood  demanded,  "  Let  go  !  you  fool !  " 

"  Not  till  you  have  apologized  to  Miss  March,"  spoke 
Caspar,  this  time  loud  enough  to  shake  the  windows. 
And  he  gave  him  another  prance  up  and  down  as  if  the 
creature  were  a  jumping-jack  in  his  grasp,  in  spite  of 
his  bulk. 

Like  a  flash-light  picture  taken  in  a  second,  in  the 
midst  of  that  terrible  scene,  Diantha  beheld  a  grim  de- 
light expressed  on  the  features  of  Harris,  and  satisfac- 
tion beaming  on  the  face  of  Everton. 

All  at  once  the  lump  of  clothes  assumed  the  shape  of  a 
man  again,  and  Lockwood  turned  and  said  in  the  most 
peculiarly  insinuating  tone,  "  I'm  sorry  for  you,  Cas- 
par, but  if  you  knew  what  I  do,  you  would  not  insist 
on  this  apology."  As  he  was  speaking,  he  drew  some- 
thing metallic  from  his  pocket  and  slipped  it  around  his 
hand.  "  You  are  such  an  innocent,  backwoods  fellow, 
that  you  don't  understand  things  as  they  are,"  said  he 


THE  INSINUATIONS  OF  LOCKWOOD       160 

persuasively.  "  Come  outside,  I  don't  want  to  say  it  in 
the  presence  of  ladies." 

"  Whatever  you  have  to  say,  say  it  here/'  exclaimed 
Caspar,  hoarsely. 

"  No,  I  insist,"  he  said,  taking  advantage  of  the 
moment  to  spring  from  the  gripping  arms  that  had  given 
him  a  taste  of  muscular  power  and  escaping  to  the  door- 
way. He  was  still  shaking  from  his  punishment,  yet 
from  unsatisfied  revenge,  dared  to  stand  there  and  say 
his  say,  the  most  terrible  indictment  that  can  be  issued 
against  a  woman. 

At  the  mocking  words',  that  Miss  March  was  the 
"  light  o'  love  "  of  Everton  back  East,  there  were  two 
men  who  were  launched  into  the  air  after  him  as  he  at- 
tempted to  escape,  and  disappeared  from  sight  but  not 
from  hearing. 

Diantha  clung  to  Mrs.  Mackintosh  as  she  heard  the 
sounds  of  a  body  being  banged  around,  and  awful  noises 
of  hoarse  voices  like  wild  beasts  growling  over  their 
prey,  and  at  last  three  apparently  frightful  beings  entered 
the  room,  dragging  themselves  in  a  kind  of  tangle  to 
their  very  feet. 

Ellen  and  Diantha  were  speechless  with  horror.  But 
Harris  stood  there  with  that  grim  smile  of  satisfaction 
still  on  his  face. 

"  Apologize !  "  came  the  command  from  two  hoarse 
throats,  only  it  sounded  like  a  wolf's  snarl  rather  than 
human  speech. 

The  women  drew  away  and  hid  their  eyes  to  shut  out 
the  sight  and  Diantha  cried,  "  Oh,  let  him  go !  I  don't 
want  his  apology." 


170  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

But  the  two  still  banged  the  third  man  around  to  break 
his  will  and  make  him  yield.  There  came  a  moment 
when  he  made  a  pretense  of  giving  in,  and  they  let  him 
sit  up  on  the  floor.  "  Now,"  they  said  grimly,  "  apolo- 
gize!" 

He  gave  a  terrible  laugh.  "  You  poor  fool,"  he  said, 
looking  into  Everton's  face,  "  why,  she  was  out  all  night 
with  Caspar."  And  he  struck  out  at  Everton  with  the 
hand  that  had  what  seemed  to  be  a  big  ring  upon  it. 

"  Oh,  oh,"  cried  the  two  women,  "  he  doesn't  know 
what  he  is  talking  about." 

"  Well,  he  just  does,"  hoarsely  roared  Caspar,  "  he 
has  been  taunting  me  with  that  for  weeks."  The  two 
men  held  on  to  Lockwood  so  tightly  that  he  was  like  a 
maniac  in  a  straight- jacket,  and  while  their  breaths  came 
prodigiously  as  they  sought  a  breathing-spell  thus 
bunched  together,  they  perceived  it  was  brass-knuckles 
that  were  gleaming  so  strangely  upon  his  hand. 

So  closely  had  Lockwood  been  grappled  with  and 
pinned  down  in  the  effort  to  wrest  the  apology  from  him 
that  he  could  make  no  use  of  this  deadly  weapon  in  his 
possession. 

In  this  breathing-spell,  Mrs.  Mackintosh  gave  voice  to 
her  scorn,  "  Caspar  indeed !  and  what  of  it  ?  Isn't  Cas- 
par the  most  innocent  of  men,  and  didn't  I  send  him 
myself,  and  didn't  they  come  back  engaged  to  be  married 
in  deference  to  the  gossips  of  the  town,  and  they  hardly 
knowing  each  other?  I'm  ashamed  of  you  taking  any 
notice  of  the  likes  of  him,  he's  crazy,  he  is  out  of  his 
mind." 

Then  it  was  that  Caspar  had   pounced   down   upon 


THE  INSINUATIONS  OF  LOCKWOOD  171 

Lockwood's  right  hand  and  had  torn  off  the  brass  gleam- 
ing there  and  had  flung  it  away. 

Lockwood  made  a  pretense  of  submission,  and  under 
all  the  grime  and  amid  all  the  dishevelment  tried  to  smile 
in  his  old  mocking  way. 

Diantha  resolved  to  do  all  in  her  power  to  stop  the 
terrible  conflict.  She  went  over  to  where  the  three  men 
were  bunched  up  together,  and  stooped  down  and  said 
with  all  the  entreaty  there  was  in  her,  "  Mr.  Lockwood, 
I  gave  you  a  promise  that  I  would  speak  a  good  word 
for  you  to  Mr.  Everton.  Shall  I  do  it  now  and  stop  this 
frightful  affair?  I  know  that  you  never  were  punished 
when  you  were  small  and  that  you  do  not  know  how  to 
take  it  as  others  do.  Do  you  want  to  have  me  excuse 
you  from  making  the  apology?  Just  nod  your  head  and 
I  will  do  it!" 

Had  Lockwood  been  possessed  of  any  sense,  he  could 
have  ended  it  then  and  there.  But  instead,  not  having 
been  seriously  hurt,  only  having  been  pulled  around  and 
been  made  grimy,  not  having  been  made  to  feel  in  his 
carcass  some  poignancy  of  regret  for  his  brutishness,  he 
suddenly  struck  at  the  girl  with  all  his  force,  giving  her 
a  blow  that  threw  her  backwards.  And  at  the  same 
second  he  took  advantage  of  the  distraction  caused  by 
this  unexpected  assault,  by  drawing  a  knife  from  his 
pocket  and  making  a  slash  at  the  face  of  Caspar,  but 
quick  as  lightning  Caspar  had  dodged  sideways  so  sud- 
denly that  he  had  lost  his  balance  and  fell  on  the  floor, 
but  was  up  and  an  arm's  length  away  in  another  second. 

The  whole  thing  was  like  the  turning  of  a  kaleido- 
scope, for  everything  changed  on  the  instant. 


172  .  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

Lockwood  now  stood  alone,  a  picture  of  murderous 
hate,  flashing  the  piece  of  steel,  and  the  two  men  and 
Harris  bending  over  Diantha,  with  Mrs.  Mackintosh 
giving  her  a  drink  of  water  and  fanning  her.  While 
they  placed  her  in  safety,  Lockwood  stood  ready  for 
murder. 

The  other  two  men  exchanged  glances  with  a  perfect 
understanding,  he  must  be  disarmed.  Caspar  ran  to  the 
front,  Stanley  behind,  with  feints  to  distract  his  atten- 
tion. Then  Lockwood's  arm  made  a  savage  slash 
backward  to  reach  Everton,  and  at  the  gleam  of  the 
blade,  Everton  stooped  and  ran  under  his  arm  and 
caught  him  about  the  waist  with  a  fierce  grip,  while  with 
his  foot  he  tried  to  trip  him.  As  the  hand  of  Lockwood 
came  to  the  front  to  carve  at  the  arm  of  Everton  bound 
about  him,  Caspar,  as  quick  as  a  flash,  gave  it  a  sledge- 
hammer blow  —  with  his  own  hand  underneath  to  break 
it  against,  paralyzing  the  arm,  and  they  all  came  down 
together  with  the  knife  twisting  out  of  Lockwood's  grasp 
in  a  paracentric  sort  of  direction  hurtling  to  the  feet  of 
the  two  women. 

Mrs.  Mackintosh  stooped  to  the  ugly  thing  and  took  it 
up  gingerly  to  get  it  out  of  the  way,  and  drawing  off  her 
cape,  wrapped  it  in  its  folds  as  if  hating  to  touch  the 
murderous  thing  with  her  hands. 

Up  to  this  moment  it  had  been  only  a  terrific  wrestling 
match  to  compel  a  man  to  apologize  for  an  insult  to  a 
woman.  With  all  the  drag  and  tear  there  had  been  no 
injury  to  bones  nor  vitals.  But  to  disarm  the  murderous 
man  and  save  Everton  from  being  slashed,  Caspar  had 
given  a  mighty  blow.  .Lockwood  had  succumbed  to  the 


THE  INSINUATIONS  OF  LOCKWOOD          173 

might  of  this  force  and  lay  upon  the  floor  without  any 
more  fight  in  him. 

Outside,  flattened  against  the  panes  were  men's  faces 
gazing  in  at  this  bunch  of  men  upon  the  floor,  one 
stunned,  one  exhausted  and  breathing  hard,  and  the 
third  rising  to  his  feet.  Presently  they  swarmed  in  at 
the  door  and  filled  the  room  in  an  orderly  way  that  was 
almost  sinister  under  the  circumstances. 

"  It's  'bout  time  Boulder  was  doing  somethin'  to  show 
it  has  men  in  it ! "  grimly  spoke  old  Dow. 

John  Quincy  looked  at  the  ugly  brute  who  had  been 
allowed  his  own  way  too  long,  as  they  put  him  in  a  chair 
and  had  the  doctor  test  his  wrist  to  see  if  it  were  broken, 
the  men  meanwhile  expressing  their  admiration  of  Cas- 
par's peculiar  blow,  as  men  do.  At  last  John  said  in  a 
simple  sort  of  manner,  "  Well,  Barry,  I  guess  we  are 
quits  now  for  your  knocking  me  off  my  horse  to-day." 

And  Lockwood  scowled  at  him. 


CHAPTER  XXV 

DIANTHA    DEMANDS    IMMEDIATE    JUSTICE 

TT\IANTHA  was  standing  like  one  in  a  trance.  What 
-*-^  was  Lockwood's  broken  wrist  to  her  ?  Or  the  fight 
or  the  throng  of  men  gathered  there  so  mysteriously? 
What  was  the  seriousness  of  any  or  all  of  it  compared 
with  the  imputation  on  her  character  as  a  woman  or  as  a 
bookkeeper  ? 

She  realized  that  when  a  woman  went  out  into  the 
world  to  do  a  man's  work,  that  she  had  two  kinds  of 
honor  to  maintain,  that  which  is  required  of  her  sex,  and 
also  that  kind  of  honor  which  is  required  of  a  man,  that 
of  honesty  in  his  business  relations  with  men.  She  had 
to  be  both  honest  and  virtuous.  And  there  she  stood 
assailed  on  both  those  counts. 

Being  accused  of  robbing  the  safe  was  the  same  as 
taking  away  her  bread  and  butter,  and  therefore  the 
more  serious  in  the  eyes  of  the  law.  Strange  as  it  may 
appear  she  comprehended  that  this  count  was  the  first 
that  required  to  be  settled. 

Could  it  be  possible  that  her  life  was  already  ruined? 
Had  all  her  prudence,  all  her  self-denials  been  in  vain? 
Might  she  just  as  well  have  been  a  dancing  midge  in  the 
sunshine,  instead  of  trying  to  be  a  mother  over  herself  in 
all  her  actions  and  manners?  Besides  there  were  those 
two  men,  Caspar  and  Everton.  They  had  been  her 

174 


DIANTHA  DEMANDS  IMMEDIATE  JUSTICE          175 

champions,  true  enough,  who  had  fought  her  defamer 
with  their  fists  as  men  of  the  elemental  order  should  do 
in  defense  of  their  women,  but  she  was  determined  that 
from  their  minds  should  be  removed  the  last  scintilla  of 
a  doubt  on  that  second  count,  which  to  her  was  the  more 
terrible  of  the  two. 

How  should  all  this  be  done  ?  It  was  not  enough  that 
she  should  make  known  her  suspicions  of  Lockwood,  she 
must  prove  them  to  be  well  founded.  She  must  prove 
him  to  be  guilty  of  robbing  the  safe,  to  escape  that  im- 
putation herself !  But  how,  was  the  question. 

Poignantly  it  came  over  her  how  her  honest  brother 
Dan  had  returned  to  the  farm  in  disgust  at  his  experi- 
ences in  a  lawyer's  office.  At  first  he  was  in  love  with 
his  study  in  the  law-books  on  equity,  and  had  grand 
ideas  on  the  dignity  of  his  calling  till  he  found  that  the 
chief  thing  to  learn  in  order  to  make  a  success  of  that 
profession  was  how  to  defeat  justice.  She  remembered 
his  telling  how  innocent  witnesses  were  asked  if  they 
had  ever  been  in  state's  prison,  in  order  to  throw  dis- 
credit on  their  testimony  and  enable  the  guilty  ones  to 
escape. 

If  she  permitted  this  case  to  come  to  the  courts,  she 
would  be  badgered  in  the  witness-stand  by  Lockwood's 
lawyer,  discredited  in  every  way,  and  her  reputation 
doubtless  be  questioned,  so  that  in  the  end  she  would  be 
imprisoned  and  Lockwood  would  go  free.  And  if  even 
she  escaped  the  tribunal  her  character  would  be  smirched 
forever. 

A  mighty  rage  possessed  her.     What  should  she  do? 

She  wanted  a  public  trial  now  at  once.     She  desired 


176  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

the  truth  to  be  known  immediately,  to  have  no  rumors, 
no  innuendoes,  no  suspicions  to  be  started  as  gossip  to  be 
discussed  on  the  morrow,  but  the  facts  in  the  case  to  be 
told  freely  instead.  She  gathered  herself  together,  to  try 
to  be  calm  and  wise.  The  men  were  acting  in  a  strange 
kind  of  way,  she  noticed,  as  if  by  common  impulse. 
Why  could  not  a  simple  court  of  equity  be  set  up  here 
like  in  the  olden  days,  without  any  lawyers  to  muddle  the 
truth  and  defeat  justice,  something  like  the  Arabs  with 
the  Cadi,  who  so  cleverly  settled  matters? 

When  she  had  said  that  to  herself  she  seemed  to  know 
how  to  proceed,  and  ignoring  the  pull  at  her  gown  by 
Mrs.  Mackintosh,  who  wanted  her  to  leave  it  to  the  men 
to  settle,  she  resolutely  went  forward  to  the  group  of 
men  and  said  she  would  like  to  speak  to  them  a  moment. 

To  her  surprise,  the  group  came  to  immediate  atten- 
tion as  if  they  had  been  expecting  to  be  called  to  order. 

"  Gentlemen,"  she  said  as  bravely  as  a  woman  could, 
"  do  not  forget  that  the  safe  has  been  robbed.  The  im- 
putation is  that  I  have  taken  the  money  from  the  safe. 
My  reputation  as  a  bookkeeper  is  at  stake.  I  do  not 
propose  to  sleep,  nor  to  eat,  until  justice  has  been  done/' 

She  tried  to  imagine  that  she  herself  was  her  brother 
Dan,  and  to  speak  as  she  thought  he  might  do,  but  it  was 
as  a  woman  she  expressed  herself  after  all. 

"  That's  just  what  we're  after,"  said  Dow  sternly, 
"  and  we've  got  the  jestice  of  the  peace  from  the  Junc- 
tion—  and  he's  goin'  to  settle  this  yere  case  right  off, 
before  mornin'.  So  we'll  call  the  meetin'  to  order  with 
the  jestice  in  the  chair.  And  you  can  tell  us  all  about  it, 
Miss  March,  and  we'll  be  glad  to  listen." 


DIANTHA  DEMANDS  IMMEDIATE  JUSTICE         177 

"  You  can  call  on  me  as  a  witness,"  said  Harris 
quietly,  "  I  think  we  can  get  at  the  root  of  the  matter  at 
once." 

"  That's  right,"  said  Lockwood  sullenly,  "  take  advan- 
tage of  a  man's  being  done-up  to  jump  on  him  all 
together,  without  a  chance  to  produce  witnesses  or  any- 
thing." Here  he  winced  from  the  moving  of  his  arm. 
"  I'm  in  no  condition  to  stand  any  more  to-night,  I  tell 
you,  and  I  am  going  to  my  room." 

"  We  can  try  it  just  as  well  without  you,"  said 
Harris,  "  what  have  you  to  do  with  it  any  way  ?  "  That 
was  the  peculiar  attitude  that  puzzled  more  than  one, 
that  Lockwood  should  assume  he  was  to  be  called  in 
question,  though  there  was  no  suspicion  of  him  as  yet 
expressed. 

There  was  a  quiet  conference  as  if  it  were  already 
arranged  and  the  justice,  a  thin  man  with  a  great  shock 
of  gray  hair  and  a  moustache  like  a  Frenchman,  only 
that  he  was  from  Kentucky,  soon  was  at  the  improvised 
table  and  someone  was  acting  as  a  notary.  Lockwood 
became  strangely  alert  in  his  suspicions. 

"  What  the  devil  is  all  this  performance  about  ?  "  he 
questioned,  angrily. 

Presently  there  were  chairs  being  brought  in  from  the 
outside  for  all  to  be  seated  in,  and  Ellen  decided  to 
remain. 

Diantha  began  to  be  troubled.  She  looked  at  Mrs. 
Mackintosh  and  her  heart  failed  her.  How  could  she  tell 
before  them  all,  of  the  part  Tommy  had  played  in  Lock- 
wood's  scheme  against  her?  Ellen,  who  had  been  so 
good  to  her,  who  had  believed  in  her  from  the  first,  how 


178  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

could  she  bring  this  pang  to  her  heart  ?  Yet  it  might  be 
a  kindness,  albeit  a  cruel  one,  to  waken  her  to  the  dangers 
besetting  her  child  of  which  she  was  so  ignorant.  Be- 
cause of  Ellen's  idolatry  of  her  boy,  should  she  be 
sacrificed?  These  were  her  thoughts  when  Miss  Read 
entered  leading  Tommy  by  the  hand. 

"  He  was  crying  for  you,"  said  Miss  Read  to  the 
mother  who  received  him  with  hearty  welcome,  "  and  I 
heard  there  was  something  going  on  — "  but  it  was  lost 
as  she  took  a  chair  next  to  Diantha. 

Harris  was  the  first  witness  called  and  he  told  about 
the  locking  up  of  the  safe  at  noon  on  Friday  by  Miss 
March,  when  everything  was  in  good  order,  and  about  the 
loss  which  had  been  discovered  but  a  few  hours  before. 
He  testified  that  he  had  been  troubled  the  night  before 
by  noticing  a  horse  tied  in  the  brush,  near  the  mill,  from 
his  office-window,  but  by  the  time  he  had  put  on  his 
clothes  and  had  gone  out  to  investigate,  he  heard  some- 
one riding  away  furiously.  Suspecting  something 
wrong  he  had  gone  into  the  office  and  had  examined 
the  safe  only  to  have  his  fears  set  at  rest,  for  there 
was  no  sign  of  any  one  being  there,  save  for  one  small 
thing. 

"And  what  was  that?"  asked  the  justice. 

"Just  a  cigarette  half-burned.  But  when  I  picked  it 
up  off  the  floor  I  am  quite  sure  it  was  still  warm/' 
Diantha  glanced  at  Lockwood.  There  was  a  steely  glit- 
ter in  his  small  black  eyes. 

Mr.  Everton's  testimony  was  to  the  effect  that  this  was 
not  the  first  time  that  a  sum  of  money  was  missing 
from  the  safe,  that  the  books  had  been  falsified  and  the 


DIANTHA  DEMANDS  IMMEDIATE  JUSTICE         179 

bookkeeper  dismissed  on  several  of  these  occasions,  but 
that  the  robbing  had  gone  on  nevertheless.  Diantha 
was  surprised  to  see  Watson  in  the  crowd  and  he 
seemed  to  be  nodding  to  her  in  encouragement,  and  she 
thought  it  splendid  of  him  that  he  should  be  thinking  of 
her  instead  of  himself,  who  was  really  in  danger. 

Everton  went  on  to  tell  of  the  need  for  a  new  book- 
keeper, and  how  Miss  March,  hearing  of  the  vacancy  in 
New  York  City,  had  applied  for  the  position  as  she 
wanted  a  change  of  climate  for  a  time,  and  he  added, 
with  due  respect  for  the  title,  that  she  was  a  Chartered 
Public  Accountant.  From  the  day  of  Miss  March's  ar- 
rival the  books  were  kept  as  straight  as  a  string  and 
as  plain  as  day. 

He  stopped  there  and  maintained  a  most  effective  si- 
lence for  what  seemed  to  Diantha  a  long  moment.  She 
began  to  take  fresh  courage  and  to  say  to  herself  that 
with  a  record  like  that  it  was  not  likely  that  the  fair 
fabric  of  her  life  could  be  destroyed  by  a  man  like 
Lockwood. 

Everton  then  suggested  that  Miss  March  be  called  on 
to  tell  about  the  safe  being  left  to  her  care,  and  she  was 
ready  to  stand  forth  in  defense  of  her  character  as  a 
bookkeeper,  but  it  was  the  second  count  that  was  ab- 
sorbing all  her  energies  and  power  of  thought,  while  she 
was  meeting  the  first.  Her  effort  was  to  concentrate 
on  showing  how  some  one  else  than  herself  had  gained 
access  to  that  missing  gold. 

As  simply  as  she  could,  she  told  how  three  hundred 
dollars  had  disappeared  mysteriously,  some  four  weeks 
before,  and  that  it  had  so  worried  her  in  trying  to  balance 


180  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

her  books  that  Mr.  Harris,  himself,  had  suggested  that 
she  keep  the  combination  of  the  safe.  Everything  had 
gone  well  from  that  time  on,  until  some  one  in  the  office 
had  declared  it  to  be  a  very  unsafe  proceeding  for  it 
to  be  left  to  her,  as  in  case  of  the  death  of  the  book- 
keeper in  an  instance  which  was  given,  the  safe  would 
have  to  be  blown  open  before  any  business  could  be 
transacted.  This  had  set  her  to  thinking,  she  said,  and 
she  had  jotted  down  the  number  of  the  combination  she 
had  selected  in  the  back  of  a  little  notebook  which  she 
always  carried  with  her  in  a  little  hand-bag.  Then  she 
told  how  it  happened  the  day  before  that  she  had  been 
persuaded  to  leave  this  little  receptacle  behind  her,  and 
how  she  had  placed  it  under  her  pillow  in  the  tent. 

She  remarked  that  there  was  some  one  in  the  party 
who  very  strangely  had  decided  to  remain  behind  in 
camp  and  not  go  along  as  at  first  intended.  When  she 
returned  and  was  about  retiring,  she  had  made  the  dis- 
covery that  this  little  book  and  hand-bag  had  been  tam- 
pered with. 

"  The  fact  is,"  she  said  as  deliberately  as  she  could 
with  her  heart  beating  hard  and  fast,  "  that  the  some  one 
who  remained  behind  in  camp  as  soon  as  I  had  put  my 
little  hand-bag  into  the  tent,  was  also  the  person  who 
had  resented  my  having  the  safe  left  to  my  charge,  the 
one  who  had  said  that  it  would  be  a  risky  thing  for  the 
firm  in  case  I  should  die  suddenly.  So  that  it  was  not 
at  all  strange  that  I  should  be  suspicious  that  he  had 
been  investigating  my  little  notebook  in  search  of  pos- 
sible numbers  I  might  have  jotted  down  there,  if  indeed 
he  had  not  already  made  sure  of  my  having  done  so 


DIANTHA  DEMANDS  IMMEDIATE  JUSTICE       181 

without  my  knowledge.  And  yet  it  did  seem  impossible, 
and  I  tried  to  banish  the  suspicion  from  my  mind  as  a 
very  wild  sort  of  a  guess." 

Lockwood  was  watching  her  intently,  but  she  went  on 
trying  to  keep  to  the  main  point  she  was  endeavoring 
to  make,  yet  oppressed  by  the  fact  that  to  save  herself  she 
would  have  to  sacrifice  that  friendship  she  held  so  dear. 
Could  Ellen  endure  it?  Was  there  a  mother  great 
enough  to  put  aside  her  pride  in  her  child  when  more 
than  a  girl's  life  was  hanging  in  the  balance?  Were  she 
a  mother  could  she  endure  it?  She  resolved  that  she 
would  try  to  be  just,  that  she  would  try  to  put  justice  first 
and  her  pride  second. 

"  However,"  she  was  saying  to  the  assembled  citizens 
of  Boulder  in  the  spontaneously  organized  little  court 
of  equity,  "  when  I  opened  the  safe  this  evening  and 
the  fumes  of  stale  tobacco  came  stealing  out  into  my 
face  before  I  even  knew  that  the  safe  had  been  robbed, 
the  conviction  had  crept  over  me  that  some  one  had 
opened  the  safe  in  my  absence." 

Little  Tommy,  having  slept  almost  all  the  way  home 
from  Twin  Lakes,  had  had  his  nap  out  and  was  as 
bright  as  a  new  gold  dollar.  He  had  been  slyly  sliding 
around  the  room  from  one  citizen  to  another,  getting 
up  to  the  desk  and  upsetting  the  pens  and  ink,  and  then 
wearying  of  this  pastime,  he  had  dropped  down  under 
the  chairs  and  had  crawled  along  to  where  Lockwood  was. 

Diantha  noticed  how  the  child  came  out  in  front  of 
him  with  evident  triumph  at  the  success  of  his  mole- 
like  wanderings,  all  covered  with  dust,  of  course,  and 
saw  that  he  threw  himself  across  the  knees  of  Lockwood 


182  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

in  perfect  childlike  abandon.  Presently  he  looked  up 
into  his  face  with  a  crafty  sort  of  expression,  and 
slipped  his  hand  into  the  man's  inner  pocket,  drawing 
therefrom  a  piece  of  candy  which  at  once  he  began  to 
lick  and  suck  with  familiar  gusto. 

Mrs.  Mackintosh  could  not  fail  to  be  distressed  at 
this  performance,  it  betokened  such  evident  familiarity 
on  the  part  of  the  child  with  the  man  and  the  more 
so  as  Lockwood's  connivance  showed  how  utterly  he 
had  disregarded  her  entreaties  in  the  matter. 

As  for  Diantha,  she  would  not  have  been  human  had 
she  not  followed  where  "  fate,  the  starry-eyed  one,"  was 
pointing  her  finger  in  answer  to  her  wish  to  reveal  to  the 
citizens  of  Boulder  how  it  was  that  Lockwood  could 
bribe  and  control  the  child  and  make  him  do  his  bidding. 

In  no  court  in  the  world  would  the  evidence  of  a 
child  of  four  or  five  be  admitted.  But  the  evidence  of 
one's  senses  gathered  in  the  court  could  not  be  ignored. 
No  one  as  yet  had  mentioned  the  name  of  Lockwood. 
All  were  waiting  for  something  to  come  to  pass,  like  a 
miracle,  and  lo  and  behold  it  was  happening  before  their 
very  eyes,  thought  Diantha  to  herself.  She  saw  her 
chance  in  that  second  like  a  flash. 

"  As  soon  as  I  saw  the  gold  was  missing,"  she  went 
on,  "  of  course  my  suspicions  came  back  to  me  that 
somebody  had  found  out  the  combination  from  the  num- 
ber I  had  jotted  down.  It  was  a  wild  idea,  I  admit,  for 
no  man  could  have  entered  the  tent  reserved  for  the 
women,  that  would  not  have  been  permitted.  But  I 
knew  that  a  child  could  have  done  so  and  could  have  taken 
the  little  hand-bag  containing  the  much  desired  object 


DIANTHA  DEMANDS  IMMEDIATE  JUSTICE          183 

with  it,  to  the  man  who  wanted  it.  This  conviction  is 
forced  on  me  by  the  fact  that  when  I  found  my  note- 
book, I  knew  it  had  been  tampered  with,  because  it  was 
all  sticky  and  sweet  as  if  some  one  with  sugary  hands 
had  been  meddling  with  it." 

"  Such  damned  nonsense !  "  ejaculated  Lockwood. 

The  justice  asked  her  if  she  had  any  idea  as  to  who 
it  was  that  had  been  handling  the  book. 

Diantha-  hesitated  an  instant.  Should  she  stop  pro- 
ceedings to  get  Ellen  to  retire,  should  she  pass  over 
Tommy's  part  in  the  treachery  against  her  and  thus  not 
clear  herself?  Or  should  she  deal  with  the  truth  ab- 
solutely? She  remembered  how  she  and  Colleen  had 
conceded  that  the  truth  was  too  great  a  luxury  to  be 
indulged  in  at  all  times  and  places,  but  for  once  in 
her  life  she  felt  like  being  luxurious.  She  felt  she  had 
too  much  at  stake  to  put  the  complacent  adorings  of  a 
mistaken  motherhood  before  her  own  defense. 

She  called  to  Tommy  to  come  and  see  what  she  had 
in  her  bag.  He  had  learned  to  obey  her,  however 
unwillingly,  when  she  called  him,  so  slowly  he  squirmed 
along  to  her  side.  She  placed  the  little  hand-bag  of 
silk  in  his  hands.  "  It  is  between  Tommy  and  me,"  she 
was  saying  to  herself. 

Presently  he  pulled  open  the  strings  and  felt  inside, 
drawing  out  the  little  notebook  from  its  maw,  and  turn- 
ing suddenly,  he  gave  Lockwood  the  most  comical  little 
grimace. 

The  halo-crowned  little  scamp  then  looked  up  at  her 
and  she  said,  by  virtue  of  the  influence  she  had  gained 
over  him,  "  Now,  Tommy,  be  a  good  boy  and  tell  me ! 


184  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

Did  you  put  this  little  book  safe  back  in  the  bag  again, 
when  you  took  it  out  yesterday,  and  after  Barry  gave 
it  back  to  you  ?  " 

"  Ess,  me  did,"  said  he,  stoutly. 

"  Oh,  what  a  shame,"  Diantha  could  hear  Ellen  say- 
ing and  it  made  her  very  unhappy,  but  she  went  on 
resolutely. 

The  book  and  the  bag  she  gave  into  the  hands  of  the 
judge  and  told  him  to  notice  how  sticky  they  were  from 
Tommy's  second  handling  and  also  to  observe  the  num- 
bers on  the  last  page,  and  asking  that  some  one  should 
try  them  on  the  safe. 

Presently  they  all  were  putting  this  into  effect,  and  the 
fact  was  established  that  the  number  worked  the  com- 
bination perfectly.  Tommy  was  not  in  the  least  alarmed 
and  went  to  his  mother's  arms  as  if  he  had  just  given  a 
very  cunning  and  clever  performance.  But  poor  Mrs. 
Mackintosh  bowed  her  head  over  her  idol  and  was  at 
first  covered  with  confusion.  This,  however,  passed 
away  and  was  followed  by  extreme  haughtiness.  Anger 
and  pride  struggled  for  the  mastery  in  her  maternal 
breast. 

Diantha  saw  and  suffered.  All  the  more  did  she  feel 
vengeful  against  Lockwood.  His  name  had  been  men- 
tioned at  last.  He  had  slightly  recovered  himself  by 
this  moment,  and  broke  in,  "  What  damned  nonsense ! 
Wasn't  I  out  at  Twin  Lakes  with  everybody  else?  I 
can  prove  by  the  whole  town  I  was  there  ever  since  Fri- 
day!" 

"  Go  on,  Miss  March,"  said  the  judge,  nodding  to  her 
encouragingly. 


DIANTHA  DEMANDS  IMMEDIATE  JUSTICE        185 

"  Well,"  she  said  deliberately  keeping  the  main 
point,  "  when  Mr.  Lockwood  ran  his  horse  against  the 
horse  of  Mr.  Quincy  and  knocked  him  off,  we  all  thought 
it  an  accident,  but  now  I  am  quite  sure  it  was  because 
John  Quincy  knew  something  about  Mr.  Lockwood  he 
didn't  want  to  have  get  out  for  everybody  to  know.  He 
can  tell  you  what  that  was  if  you  ask  him." 

Diantha  sat  down.  Everybody  got  as  still  as  death, 
even  Mrs.  Mackintosh  listened  intently.  John  looked 
rather  bewildered  as  he  stood  up  to  be  questioned.  It 
was  evident  he  had  not  quite  understood  the  drift  of  the 
evidence  thus  far  given. 

"  I  don't  know  that  I  know  anything  at  all,"  he  began 
innocently.  However,  he  told  about  Lockwood's  horse 
being  covered  with  foam  and  mud  and  how  he  had  said, 
"  Why,  Barry,  somebody's  been  riding  your  horse  while 
you  were  asleep,"  and  how  Lockwood  had  sworn  at  him 
for  what  he  meant  to  be  only  a  kindness  as  he  did  not 
like  to  see  an  animal  abused.  And  later  how  Barry  had 
tried  to  run  him  down  but  that  he  did  not  know  why. 

Diantha  saw  that  in  spite  of  this  simple  but  effective 
evidence  of  John's,  that  there  was  one  great  stumbling- 
block  still  remaining  in  the  fastening  of  the  crime  upon 
the  one  who  was  really  guilty  of  it.  If  Lockwood  was 
all  night  sleeping  in  the  tent,  how  could  he  have  gone 
to  Boulder  Camp  and  have  robbed  the  safe?  She  did 
not  know  but  even  yet  justice  might  fail.  How  cleverly 
he  had  designed  the  whole  plot !  She  had  to  admit  that 
he  had  great  ability,  like  his  uncle,  Horace  J.  Lockwood, 
only  that  it  had  become  perverted.  She  looked  at  Wat- 
son. If  only  he  could  be  induced  to  tell  what  he  knew 


186  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

he  could  save  her  from  this  trap.  But  she  realized  that 
to  do  so,  he  would  be  putting  himself  into  one. 

To  her  surprise,  Everton  and  Harris  were  standing 
one  on  each  side  of  Watson  and  urging  him  to  go 
forward  and  to  testify  for  Miss  March. 

Presently  there  he  was,  standing  before  what  must 
have  been  a  dreadful  tribunal  to  him,  and  some  way  it 
was  pitiful,  for  he  fairly  shook  in  his  fear  and  his  voice 
was  faint,  as  he  answered  the  questions  asked  of  him. 

Lockwood  burst  out  with  an  interruption  that  every- 
body knew  Watson  had  been  dismissed  for  stealing  from 
the  firm,  that  nobody  would  hang  a  snake  on  such  testi- 
mony as  his. 

"  Perhaps  not  a  snake,'*  said  grizzled  old  Dow  dryly, 
for  all  to  hear. 

"  That's  what,"  murmured  a  chorus  of  hoarse  voices. 

Thus  encouraged  Watson  told  his  story.  It  came  out 
bit  by  bit  how  Lockwood  had  contrived  to  cover  his  alibi 
out  at  Twin  Lakes  by  having  Watson  take  his  place 
in  the  tent  during  the  night,  and  upon  his  return,  Wat- 
son meet  him  and  take  his  horse  while  he  resumed  his 
old  place. 

Lockwood  was  at  his  old  bluffing-game  again,  pouring 
out  the  vials  of  his  wrath  and  scorn  upon  Watson  for  a 
liar  and  a  thief.  And  although  he  kept  declaring  he 
would  take  this  thing  into  a  real  court  before  a  real 
judge,  after  they  got  through  with  all  that  "  nonsense," 
he  was  ignored  absolutely. 

•  In  answer  to  why  Watson  had  lent  himself  to  be- 
come the  tool  of  Lockwood  in  this  manner,  and  thus  to 
permit  suspicion  to  fall  upon  an  innocent  party,  he  told 


DIANTHA  DEMANDS  IMMEDIATE  JUSTICE        187 

them  he  would  make  a  clean  breast  of  the  whole  thing. 

He  was  an  honest  man  with  a  good  reputation  when 
first  he  had  come  to  Boulder  Camp.  But  Lockwood  had 
threatened  to  make  him  lose  his  job  unless  he  shut  his 
eyes  to  what  was  going  on.  After  the  first  mistake  there 
was  no  going  back.  But  he  lost  his  job  anyway  and  with 
his  good  name  gone  he  could  not  get  another.  He  told 
of  how  Lockwood  had  put  up  a  job  to  mob  the  book- 
keeper from  New  York  when  he  arrived,  so  he  would 
get  out  again,  and  how  he  had  given  him  the  money  to  go 
around  and  get  the  men  drunk  so  as  to  put  it  through. 

"  But  when  the  young  lady  stepped  out  of  the  stage 
that  night/'  he  said  brokenly,  "we  all  felt  awful.  I 
watched  to  see  what  she  would  do  with  his  efforts  to 
get  control  of  the  books.  But  she  threw  the  diamond- 
ring  he  gave  her  out  into  the  road,  and  the  roll  of  green- 
backs he  slipped  into  her  room,  she  put  back  into  the  safe, 
so  he  could  get  no  hold  over  her,  and  then  he  was  going 
to  punish  her  by  threatening  to  kill  Caspar,  but  she  told 
him  she  would  go  away,  if  only  he  wouldn't  do  that." 

The  poor  man  stopped  and  wiped  his  clammy  brow 
and  the  grizzled  citizen  gave  him  a  drink  of  water  be- 
fore he  could  go  on. 

"  And  when  I  saw  that  this  new  game  of  his  was 
going  to  put  the  blame  on  Miss  March  out  of  revenge 
because  she  was  so  honest,  I  couldn't  stand  for  it,  I 
was  ashamed;  for  she  has  always  treated  me  white! 
And  my  wife,  too!  I  couldn't  let  the  blame  fall  on  her, 
not  if  I  get  killed  for  it ;  and  Barry  wouldn't  mind  it  any 
more  than  if  I  was  a  dog." 

"  Do  you  believe  a  snivelling  cur  like  that  ?  "  demanded 


188  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

Lockwood.  "If  it  weren't  for  my  broken  arm !  That's 
right!  knock  me  when  I'm  down." 

Everton's  explanation  that  Lockwood  was  a  confirmed 
gambler  and  everyone  knew  it  did  not  take  long  to  turn  a 
gambler  into  a  thief,  made  Lockwood  burst  into  a  pas- 
sionate fit  of  cursing  and  reviling. 

"  You've  got  to  the  end  of  your  rope,  man,"  said  Dow, 
grimly.  And  then  there  came  in  some  one  dragging  a 
long  rail  after  him,  and  another  carrying  a  pail,  full  of 
some  strange  dark  stuff  that  looked  like  molasses,  and  a 
third  one  with  two  feather-pillows  in  his  arms. 

A  low  murmur  of  hoarse  voices  began  to  arise.  But 
the  judge  waved  for  silence.  "  You  are  about  the 
luckiest  man  I  ever  saw,"  said  he,  turning  to  Lock- 
wood.  "  Now,  these  gentlemen  had  prepared  a  little  sur- 
prise for  you  this  evening,  and  if  you  hadn't  got  hurt  a 
little  earlier  in  the  game,  by  this  time  you  would  have 
been  seeing  some  fun." 

Even  Lockwood  paled  with  fright  at  that  fearsome 
sight.  He  knew  what  it  meant  to  be  tarred  and  feathered 
and  ridden  out  of  town  on  a  rail. 

There  was  a  conference  among  the  men  gathered  and 
then  it  was  announced  that  as  Miss  March  had  been  the 
one  to  suffer  the  most  at  the  hands  of  Barry  Lockwood, 
it  would  be  left  to  her  to  decide  what  should  be  his 
sentence. 


CHAPTER  XXVI 

BARRY   LOCK  WOOD'S    FINAL   WORD 

46T\TISS  MARCH,    will  you  come  forward?"  said 

«L»A  the  judge;  and,  amid  a  clapping  of  hands, 
Diantha  ventured  into  the  midst  of  those  bearded  men, 
who  were  all  her  friends  and  protectors  in  that  supreme 
moment. 

Lockwood  sat  there  like  a  rat  in  a  cage.  There  was  a 
furtive  look  in  his  red-rimmed  eyes,  and  mingled  rage 
and  fear  upon  him. 

Would  she  speak  for  the  tar  and  feathers,  or  the  stripes 
of  prison? 

But  Diantha  was  a  woman.  No  one  there  just  then 
remembered  she  had  been  called  in  question  on  the  first 
count,  that  of  her  honor  as  a  bookkeeper ;  that  had  been 
cleared  out  of  the  way  so  instantly.  But  there  were 
three  men,  Caspar,  Everton  and  Harris,  and  one  woman, 
Mrs.  Mackintosh,  who  had  heard  this  wretch  try  to  rob 
her  of  her  good  name,  and  second  count  as  it  was,  yet 
it  was  the  great  and  unforgivable  indictment  of  her  honor 
as  a  woman.  That  was  what  she  wanted  cleared  now, 
once  and  forever.  Was  there  any  way  she  could  reach 
him,  she  thought,  or  was  he  only  a  human  rat? 

She  thought  of  Schiller's  lines, 

"  How  can  I  so  artfully  arrange  my  cautious  words 
That  they  may  touch  but  not  offend  your  heart  ? " 
189 


190  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

She  looked  at  him  deliberately.  "  This  country  is  too 
good  for  Mr.  Lockwood,"  she  said,  significantly,  "  he 
does  not  deserve  to  have  his  freedom,  and  yet  for  the 
sake  of  his  poor  wife — " 

He  gave  a  gasp  and  made  a  protest  as  he  glared  at  her 
sullenly. 

"  And  his  poor  unfortunate  children,"  she  went  on  re- 
lentlessly, "  I  could  wish  there  was  some  other  country 
to  which  he  could  be  sent,  in  order  to  save  them,  these 
innocent  ones,  from  the  disgrace  of  his  being  sent  to 
prison.  Is  there  any  place  you  can  think  of,"  she  said, 
turning  to  the  judge,  "  where  men  sometimes  escape  to, 
in  cases  like  this?  Is  China,  do  you  think  that  China 
would  do  ?  " 

"Well,"  said  the  grizzled  citizen,  "I'd  be  sorry  for 
China,  that's  all." 

Lockwood  still  looked  at  Diantha  with  a  dull  gaze. 
How  had  she  kept  this  knowledge  of  his  family  to 
herself  all  this  time?  But  he  blustered  that  this  was 
only  child's  play,  and  he  would  bring  it  to  a  real  trial  in 
a  real  court  when  they  got  through  with  their  nonsense. 

But  the  judge  assured  him  they  were  all  in  grim 
earnest. 

"  What  ?  "  cried  the  man  with  the  pail,  "  ain't  we  going 
to  give  him  a  coat  of  tar  and  feathers,  that's  what  we're 
here  for!" 

"  You  have  your  choice,"  said  Everton  to  Lockwood. 
"  Either  there  will  be  a  warrant  out  for  your  arrest  to- 
morrow morning  or  you  will  take  the  next  steamer  for 
China,  I'll  see  you  up  the  gang-plank  myself  to  make 
sure  of  it !  " 


BARRY  LOCKWOOD'S  FINAL  WORD  191 

"  Hold  on,"  came  a  hoarse  voice  above  the  din,  "  he 
doesn't  get  off  as  easy  as  that!  He's  got  to  apologize! 
He  hasn't  done  it  yet,  but  he  shall  do  it  before  he  leaves 
this  room,  as  sure  as  my  name  is  Caspar  Rhodes ! " 

Diantha  began  to  get  faint.  It  seemed  to  her  that  the 
whole  terrible  business  was  about  to  begin  all  over  again. 
Mrs.  Mackintosh  and  Miss  Read  were  for  starting  for 
the  door,  worn  out  with  all  the  excitement  of  that  day 
and  night,  but  Caspar  waved  them  back. 

"  It  is  a  matter  of  principle  with  me,"  he  exclaimed, 
clear  and  ringing  for  all  to  hear,  "  to  put  a  thing  through 
when  I  have  begun  it.  You  must  all  stay  and  hear  Mr. 
Lockwood's  apology." 

"  You  are  right,  Caspar,"  said  Ever  ton,  "  it  will  take 
only  a  moment." 

There  was  something  about  Lockwood  still  uncon- 
quered  though  he  had  been  uncovered  in  all  his  ignominy. 
He  sat  there  before  a  roomful  of  his  fellow-citizens  dis- 
graced forever,  yet  no  shame  was  his. 

Yet  Diantha  could  see  a  different  expression  in  those 
red-rimmed  eyes  of  his  as  he  met  her  gaze.  Would  he 
yield  and  make  decent  reparation  for  the  wrong  he  had 
done  her?  Or  would  he  add  more  insult  to  the  evil  he 
had  tried  to  work?  It  was  evident  that  if  he  wanted 
to  save  every  bone  in  his  body  from  being  broken  that 
he  had  better  agree  to  the  requirement  made  of  him. 
Yet  he  seemed  more  puzzled  over  her  than  submitting 
to  the  fearsome  alternative.  Even  he  had  to  recognize 
the  splendid  quality  of  womanhood  in  her,  low  as  he 
was  and  base  as  he  was.  He  had  never  had  any  disci- 
pline, he  was  still  the  anarchist  of  childhood,  yet  in 


192  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

spite  of  this  there  was  something  new  entering  his  brain, 
it  was  a  gleam  of  respect  compelled  from  him,  for  a 
woman  who  could  stand  as  she  stood,  on  the  tran- 
scendent heights  of  probity  and  honesty  beyond  all  price. 
Only  one  tiny  shadow  of  doubt  lingered  with  him. 

Presently  he  spoke  what  was  in  his  mind,  and  asked 
her  to  tell  him  why  it  was  that  she  and  Everton  had  pre- 
tended not  to  be  very  well  acquainted  when  he  arrived. 
She  assured  him  it  was  not  pretence,  it  was  only  embar- 
rassment. 

"  Well,  then,"  he  continued,  dryly,  "  why  was  it  that 
you  and  Everton  were  so  embarrassed  that  night  when 
he  came?  And  if  you  will  tell  me  the  truth  about  it, 
why,  I  will  —  yes,  I  will  apologize." 

He  did  not  take  her  by  surprise  as  he  expected  he 
would  in  putting  her  to  this  test. 

"  Certainly,  I  will,"  she  replied  promptly.  "  In  the 
first  place,  I  did  not  know  Mr.  Everton  when  he  ar- 
rived till  I  heard  his  voice,  for  he  had  grown  a  beard  and 
I  thought  him  a  stranger.  In  the  second  place,  I  knew 
I  should  not  be  free  to  answer  him  when  he  should  ask 
me  about  the  books  because  of  my  understanding  with 
you." 

"With  me?"  ejaculated  Lockwood. 

"  Yes,"  she  continued,  "  it  is  true  I  had  made  friends 
with  you  for  a  purpose,  just  as  I  would  with  a  madman 
to  prevent  bloodshed,  nevertheless  I  was  not  going  to  be 
the  one  to  betray  you,  I  was  going  to  hold  to  my  com- 
pact. But  you  were  afraid  I  would  not,  and  sitting 
there  on  the  veranda,  do  you  remember,  you  asked  me  to 
use  my  influence  for  you,  and  in  return  for  your  con- 


BARRY  LOCKWOOD'S  FINAL  WORD  193 

tinned  friendship,  you  demanded  my  silence  as  to  what 
had  happened.  I  agreed  to  that,  still  desiring  to  pre- 
vent bloodshed,  and  now,"  her  voice  quivered  with  the 
intense  emotion  of  the  moment,  "  in  spite  of  everything 
you  have  done,  have  I  not  kept  my  word?  " 

He  looked  at  her  through  half-veiled  lids  studying  her. 

"  Yes, —  I  suppose  you  —  have,"  he  said  slowly,  "  such 
as  it  is  —  and  you  did  keep  your  mouth  shut."  He 
seemed  to  be  turning  it  over  in  his  mind. 

Somehow  they  all  felt  that  a  single  word  more  would 
break  the  spell.  They  simply  waited,  but  the  force  of 
that  silence  was  all  potent. 

"  I  apologize,"  he  said,  finally,  and  then  he  added  in 
a  different  tone,  "  but  I  wouldn't  do  it  if  I  didn't  think 
you're  a  smart  woman,  that's  what  you  are!  —  damned 
honest,  and  I  don't  mind  saying,  you  are  a  lady ! " 

Caspar  took  one  arm  to  draw  him  away,  and  Stanley 
stood  on  his  other  side. 

He  looked  from  the  one  to  the  other  in  a  dogged  sort 
of  way  with  those  upturned  corners  to  his  lips,  in  a 
mocking  smile,  and  spoke  out  for  all  to  hear.  "  But  I'll 
be  blamed  if  I  can  tell  which  of  you  it  is  that  she  is 
going  to  marry." 


CHAPTER  XXVII 

DIANTHA   MEDITATES   FOR  THREE   THOUSAND   MILES 

AS  Diantha  sat  in  the  fast-flying  train  on  her  way 
back  to  New  York  gazing  at  the  swift  passing 
scenes  of  country,  she  was  filled  with  a  strange  unrest. 
"  Where  do  I  stand?"  she  kept  asking  herself,  as  if  the 
very  foundations  of  her  world  were  toppling  about  her. 

"  I  used  to  have  serious  ideas  about  things,  I  used  to 
be  resolute,  but  something  has  happened  to  me  and  the 
worst  of  it  is  I  am  getting  weak  and  cowardly,  I  am 
getting  to  know  what  fear  means." 

You  cannot  know  much  about  any  woman's  life  by 
reading  one  chapter  out  of  it.  This  chapter  in  Boulder 
Camp  revealed  one  side  of  her  nature,  but  there  were 
other  chapters  to  follow,  and  until  they  all  were  summed 
up  not  even  she  herself  could  know  exactly  the  kind  of 
a  woman  Diantha  March  was. 

From  time  immemorial  have  women  loved  the  con- 
queror. Thus  did  the  British  women  when  the  invading 
hosts  arrived  one  after  another,  the  Roman,  the  Saxon, 
the  Dane,  and  out  of  this  love  of  theirs  has  been  evolved 
the  present  British  race.  When  Attila  and  his  Tartar 
hordes  swept  across  Europe,  the  Teutonic  women  loved 
these  fierce  victors,  and  from  this  love  came  the  new  races 
of  Austria  and  Hungary.  The  Aztec  women  loved  the 
mighty  Spaniard,  hence  the  Mexican  race.  One  of  these 

194 


DIANTHA  MEDITATES  195 

women  of  a  later  date  broke  off  her  betrothal  with  one 
of  her  own  people  to  whom  she  was  really  attached,  to 
wed  instead,  a  French  artist  who  had  come  to  Mexico 
in  the  train  of  the  ill-fated  Maximilian. 

"  And  why,"  she  was  asked,,  years  after. 

"  Because,"  she  proudly  replied,  "  I  thought  I  should 
become  the  mother  of  a  new  race." 

It  was  something  of  this  primordial  instinct  in  Diantha 
that  had  made  her  go  upon  that  venture  of  hers  to  the 
West.  She  had  hoped  to  find  her  conqueror,  for  during 
that  chapter  of  her  life  nothing  less  would  have  satisfied 
her.  That  Caspar  was  her  conqueror  she  was  only  too 
well  aware. 

She  loved  him  as  a  primordial  woman  might  the  lover 
who  had  knocked  her  down  with  his  club  and  had  carried 
her  off  to  his  cave,  overcome  by  the  recognition  of  his 
prowess  in  having  made  a  success  of  the  performance. 
He  was  fascinating  but  she  was  beginning  to  be  doubt- 
ful about  the  change  that  was  coming  over  herself.  Why 
should  she  be  afraid  of  any  one,  much  less  the  man  she 
loved  ?  It  was  because  she  had  .done  things  of  which  she 
was  ashamed,  because  in  the  city  she  had  become  hard- 
ened to  things  which  were  not  nice  to  the  eyes  of  a 
pure,  simple-minded  man.  That  was  the  root  of  the 
whole  matter.  What  a  terrible  thought  to  think  that 
Caspar  was  perhaps  too  good  for  her  ?  She  resented  the 
suspicion  in  an  agony  of  heartache.  Yet  this  was  the 
very  man  she  had  dreamed  of  and  prayed  to  meet  and  to 
know.  He  had  restored  her  faith  in  all  mankind  and 
she  adored  him. 

But  Caspar  in  New  York  City  was  a  new  thought  to 


196  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

her.  It  was  not  his  habitat,  not  his  element;  maybe  he 
would  get  hardened  to  things  there,  too,  in  time,  and 
then  they  should  stand  on  the  same  plane.  She  hoped 
so  at  any  rate.  She  had  no  fears  about  his  rusticity; 
who  cared  for  a  few  veneerings  of  custom  ?  They  meant 
nothing  to  her,  she  would  be  prepared  for  such  little 
crudities  as  infractions  of  etiquette,  the  more  the  better ! 
If  she  had  something  to  forgive,  then  he  would  have  to 
forgive  her,  she  thought,  taking  comfort  from  the  idea. 

What  sort  of  a  scheme  had  Mr.  Everton  in  his  mind 
that  he  had  arranged  this  transporting  of  Caspar  to 
city-life?  She  pondered.  Surely  he  did  not  think  she 
was  going  to  hold  him  to  that  absurd  proposition  of 
his  that  if  she  found  her  elemental  man  he  was  to  give 
her  a  thousand  dollars  and  if  he  himself  were  persuaded 
that  the  man  she  had  found  was  all  that  he  had  stipulated 
that  he  would  make  it  five  ?  She  had  already  repudiated 
the  idea,  he  could  not  make  her  hold  to  an  absurd  propo- 
sition like  that.  And  never  would  she  permit  Caspar  to 
hear  of  such  a  bargain  as  that  even  made  in  jest.  Why, 
he  would  scorn  her  so  she  would  shiver  in  shame  before 
him.  "  He  could  never  be  made  to  understand  how  such 
a  thing  as  that  could  arise  even  in  jest,"  she  said  to 
herself.  "  It  must  be  kept  from  him  forever,  it  is  this 
that  is  giving  me  this  sickening  sensation  of  fear,  that 
he  will  find  out  this  and  how  I  have  deceived  him." 

She  was  almost  angered  at  Everton  for  his  insistence 
on  the  bet.  Underneath  every  thought,  like  a  monotonous 
drumbeat  came  the  recurrent  idea  of  Everton,  dominating 
everything.  She  owed  him  so  much  that  she  was  forced 


DIANTHA  MEDITATES  197 

to  do  him  justice.  How  finely  he  had  stood  out,  among 
all  the  men  of  Boulder,  as  an  organizer,  as  a  clever  tacti- 
cian. In  that  way  she  had  to  admit  he  was  a  kind  of 
Colossus.  He  was  simply  splendid. 

When  she  thought  of  the  strange  glance  he  had  given 
her  at  the  festival,  when  Caspar  was  behaving  like  a 
bear  and  insisting  that  the  precious  document  she  had  re- 
ceived, expressing  the  approval  of  the  citizens  of  Boulder, 
was  a  work  of  supererogation,  she  had  felt  puzzled. 
That  look  had  conveyed  the  eloquence  of  understanding. 

It  almost  seemed  as  if  he  could  not  be  the  same  man 
she  had  known  in  New  York.  It  aroused  in  her  a  feel- 
ing that  she  might  have  done  him  an  injustice.  What 
if  he  had  been  in  earnest  that  day  in  the  office  and  had 
really  meant  what  he  said? 

But  she  roused  herself  and  insisted  that  her  intuitions 
told  her  that  he  was  only  acting  a  part,  "  And  what 
have  I  intuitions  for  if  not  to  be  warned  by  them  for 
my  own  good  ?  "  Yet  she  admitted  to  herself  that  she 
would  be  inclined  to  doubt  the  evidence  of  her  own 
senses  so  far  as  Everton  was  concerned,  had  it  not 
been  for  the  tragic  mistake  of  a  girl  she  had  known  in 
the  city  who  had  warned  her  not  to  be  deceived  as  she 
had  been. 

Poor  Rosa  had  believed  in  a  man's  protestations,  and 
had  given  up  a  musical  career  to  marry  him,  because 
he  frantically  had  declared  he  would  go  to  the  devil  if 
she  did  not,  and  she  found  out  afterwards  that  he  was 
not  even  in  love  with  her.  When  six  months  later  she 
asked  him  why  he  had  insisted  on  marrying  her,  the 


198  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

wretch  had  replied,  "  That  he  did  not  mean  a  word  that  he 
had  said,  but  that  he  kept  it  up  because  he  got  started 
and  thought  it  was  expected  of  him." 

"  Talk  about  women  being  mysterious  and  incompre- 
hensible !  "  continued  Diantha  to  herself.  "  She  is  big 
print  compared  to  the  workings  of  the  brain  and  the 
heart  of  the  male-being  who  dominates  earth.  He  is  the 
one  who  remains  the  unknown  and  the  unknowable.  So 
with  this  bit  of  valuable  information  in  my  possession 
I  shall  not  give  myself  the  least  worry  about  Stanley 
Everton  and  his  feelings  toward  me. 

"It  is  true  he  has  paid  me  the  greatest  compliment  a 
man  can  pay  a  woman.  But  I  think  it  very  likely  if  it 
had  not  been  Diantha  March  that  afternoon  last  May, 
it  would  have  been  some  other  girl.  He  was  in  the 
mood  for  proposing  at  that  particular  hour,  and  prob- 
ably, like  that  other  man,  thinks  he  is  expected  to  stick 
to  it." 

With  this  conclusion  she  tried  to  banish  him  from  her 
mind  altogether.  Yet  in  spite  of  her  determination  not 
to  worry  about  him,  he  haunted  her  unceasingly.  Out 
of  her  gratitude  to  him  she  wanted  to  do  him  justice. 
She  remembered  with  emotion  that  night  when  she  had 
found  the  safe  robbed.  Even  as  Caspar,  he  had  resented 
Lockwood's  insult  to  her,  and  together  they  had  punished 
him.  Together?  That  was  the  strange  part  of  it,  they 
seemed  to  like  each  other  and  now  when  they  should  ar- 
rive in  New  York  together,  what  was  going  to  happen? 
She  had  almost  forgotten  her  escape  from  her  difficulties, 
the  persecutions  of  Lockwood,  in  the  face  of  this  new 
portent  looming  large  before  her. 


DIANTHA  MEDITATES  199 

In  a  few  days  she  would  be  putting  foot  to  the  New 
York  pavements  again,  seeing  the  Pleiades  girls  of  whom 
she  was  so  fond.  There  would  be  Showery,  pale  but 
hopeful  over  her  musical  engagements,  prospective  as 
usual;  Seddie,  with  her  clever  sketches  now  in  demand 
after  all  her  agonies;  Anna,  Colleen's  young  cousin 
just  from  Canada  to  study  domestic  science,  who  was 
only  nineteen,  and  the  "  ewe-lamb  "of  the  little  fold. 
Restless  and  eager  would  be  poor  Gene  Lenore,  now 
writing  for  the  Sunday  Flyer,  after  all  her  terrible  strug- 
gles to  get  on  in  the  great  city.  Last  but  yet  first  would 
be  dear  Colleen  with  her  moonlit  face,  so  serene,  and 
her  deep-blue  eyes  with  black  lashes,  and  her  heart  of 
gold,  the  little  mother  of  them  all,  in  spite  of  her 
own  daily  duties  as  a  bread-winner. 

There  were  Vivian  and  her  husband,  Howard,  she  so 
dark  and  he  so  fair. 

Howard  and  Stanley  seemed  to  be  great  friends  as 
well  as  to  have  business  relations.  A  suspicion  touched 
her  mind  for  an  instant  that  they  two  might  have  some 
scheme  against  Caspar  to  put  through,  but  she  dismissed 
it  on  the  second,  in  her  desire  to  do  Everton  justice. 

She  tried  to  banish  thought  for  the  morrow  and  to 
take  what  the  gods  sent,  the  great  joy  of  seeing  Caspar 
again  and  of  coming  under  the  spell  of  that  wonderful 
smile  of  his.  She  thought  of  him,  his  red  lips  so  firmly 
held,  his  high  cheek-bones,  the  heavy  dark  beard,  and 
then  she  sighed.  She  remembered  how  Vivian  used  to 
sing, 

"Love's  slavery  is  sweet." 

And  now  she  knew  what  it  meant.     Then  there  came 


200  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

to  her  another  thing  she  had  heard  from  the  same  source. 
It  was  a  fierce  little  saying  of  Vivian's,  when  she  thought 
she  was  heartbroken  over  another  man,  before  she  had 
met  Howard.  And  presently  it  adapted  its  rhythm  to 
fit  the  metre  of  the  hoarse  music  of  the  car  as  it  flew 
along,  across  the  continent,  its  wheels  striking  the  rails 
in  a  peculiar  time  of  its  own. 

"  We  do  not  need  —  we  do  not  need  —  to  die  —  to 
die  —  to  find  hell  —  to  find  —  find  hell  —  it  is  right  here 

—  right  here  —  on  earth  —  on  earth  —  and  love  is  put  in 

—  love  is  put  in  —  to  make  it  —  to  make  it  —  all  the 
worse  —  put  in  to  make  it  all  the  worse/' 

She  knew  what  that  meant,  too.  If  she  were  not  so 
madly  in  love  with  Caspar,  she  would  not  now  be  as  af- 
flicted with  these  dreadful  sensations  of  fear  and  re- 
morse. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII 

CASPAR   WALKS   UP   FIFTH    AVENUE  AND  DOWN   BROADWAY 

/"T"NO  the  returned  New  Yorkers,  nothing  was  more 
•*•  beautiful  nor  splendid  than  to  behold  the  city 
once  again  in  that  joyous  September,  to  enter  into  the 
glory  of  her  uplifted  architecture,  to  hear  her  great 
voice  in  the  streets,  above  and  all  about  in  the  ceaseless 
traffic,  to  become  a  part  of  all  the  pulsation  of  her  three 
million  souls. 

Quincy  had  declared  it  was  like  heaven  to  see  dear  old 
New  York  again.  Ever  ton  had  congratulated  himself 
on  tasting  its  electrical  atmosphere  with  the  old  thrill  of 
delight,  and  even  Diantha  March  sighed  with  content  at 
setting  foot  to  the  pavement  as  of  yore.  To  them  the 
shield  presented  the  golden  side,  more  fascinating  than 
ever  before  because  of  their  brief  absence.  They  had 
already  come  under  the  spell  of  her  enchantment,  and 
saw  only  her  splendor  and  beauty. 

To  Caspar's  fresh  eyes,  however,  the  great  city  pre- 
sented an  almost  sinister  aspect.  To  his  ears,  sensitive 
to  the  fall  of  a  leaf  on  the  mountain-side,  the  noises 
combined  to  make  a  hideous  din.  To  his  delicate  nos- 
trils the  noisome  city-odors  came  as  a  warning  of 
impurity.  To  his  inner  senses  for  which  there  is  no 
adequate  term,  there  entered  an  intuitive  comprehension 
of  the  sordid  lives  of  the  masses  of  beings  who  jostled 

201 


202  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

and  pushed  him  about  regardless  of  rights  or  manners, 
to  say  nothing  of  life  or  limb. 

"  Lord  of  Heavens !  what  a  place  to  be  poor  in,"  was 
his  first  thought.  For  he  remembered  how,  out  in  the 
open,  if  Fortune  should  prove  unkind  there,  that  one 
could  build  himself  a  shack  and  be  covered  from  the 
elements,  find  free  water  in  the  hills,  and  free  food  by 
the  use  of  hook  and  gun,  and  yet  remain  a  man!  But 
here,  it  was  poverty  of  spirit  as  well  as  of  purse  that 
was  exacted!  It  meant  that  one  in  the  city  would  have 
to  live  the  life  of  a  cur  and  beg  for  food  to  maintain  a 
worthless  existence.  Even  more  than  by  the  pitiable 
creatures  that  he  saw  idly  sitting  in  the  parks,  was  he 
impressed  by  the  smug  faces  of  the  parasites  who  lived 
by  serving  the  bodily  needs  of  the  inordinately  rich. 

The  sky-scrapers  seemed  to  him  horrible,  at  first, 
shutting  off  the  sun  from  the  earth  below,  and  he  reck- 
oned that  in  the  winter,  the  pigmies  walking  as  at  the 
bottom  of  a  well,  were  denied  man's  birthright,  in  that 
they  could  never  see  more  than  one  star  at  a  time,  if 
even  they  lifted  their  eyes  that  far.  Worst  of  all  was 
the  overwhelming  loneliness  of  the  pitiless  metropolis. 
It  crept  upon  him  like  a  chill  to  think  of  the  unseeing 
eyes  about  him,  each  going  his  or  her  way  and  no  one 
caring,  no  one  revealing  any  human  emotion.  He  could 
himself  perceive  how  hardened  every  one  was,  and  he 
knew  it  was  contagious  —  that  in  time  he,  too,  would 
take  on  this  hardened  self,  and  the  thought  overwhelmed 
him. 

That  Caspar  was  justified  in  these  impressions  arises 
from  the  fact  that  his  arrival  in  the  great  city  was  in 


CASPAR  WALKS  UP  FIFTH  AVENUE  203 

that  year  of  grace,  when  deaths  from  violence,  from  traf- 
fic, fires,  collapsing  buildings,  cavings  of  embankments, 
and  explosions,  had  rendered  the  people  almost  insensible 
to  the  value  of  human  life  so  long  as  they  were  able  to 
find  themselves  alive  at  the  end  of  the  day.  In  addition 
to  this,  the  fortunes  made  and  lost  in  a  day  on  Wall 
Street,  had  rendered  hundreds  of  thousands  of  the  pop- 
ulation grim  and  desperate.  Luxury  and  false  living 
were  claiming  their  victims  as  well  as  overwork  and 
grappling  with  the  wolf  at  the  door.  Unrest  was  ev- 
erywhere and  Caspar  could  feel  it  in  the  very  air. 

He  was  even  a  little  distrustful  of  Everton  and  his 
friend  Howard.  But  he  resisted  that  thought;  for  he 
knew  in  his  heart  that  Everton  was  his  friend,  or  he 
would  never  have  invited  him  to  come  East  and  give  him 
this  opportunity  to  better  himself  as  he  had  done.  Old 
Lockwood,  the  senior  partner,  was  not  to  be  in  town  for 
a  few  days,  so  that  the  matter  had  to  wait  till  his  consent 
should  be  obtained,  and  he  was  told  to  take  a  few  days' 
holiday.  That  his  suspicion  of  Howard  must  be  unjust 
he  knew ;  for  surely  his  wife,  the  black-haired  little  lady, 
would  not  have  invited  him  to  call  in  such  a  hospitable 
manner,  otherwise. 

He  tried  to  banish  this  pessimistic  mood  creeping  on, 
and  to  try  to  see  New  York  with  Diantha's  eyes  instead, 
Diantha,  his  sweetheart,  with  whom  he  was  to  walk  up 
Fifth  Avenue  and  see  the  sights.  He  stood  waiting  for 
her,  according  to  arrangement,  at  the  great  Flatiron 
Building. 

As  for  Diantha,  she  tried  to  be  very  happy  on  this 
beautiful  September  morning.  That  the  girls  had  raved 


204  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

over  Quincy  and  had  ignored  Caspar  had  puzzled  her  at 
first.  She  tried  to  think  back  to  the  moment  when  first 
her  eyes  had  fallen  upon  him.  She  had  gone  to  him 
straight,  heart  and  all,  out  of  that  mob  of  men  brand- 
ishing clubs  and  firing  pistols  as  to  one  she  had  known 
at  once  she  could  trust.  That  was  her  answer  she 
thought.  It  took  a  moment  like  that  to  reveal  his  true 
worth  if  only  by  contrast  with  the  rest  of  the  men  in  the 
world  generally. 

That  she  had  suffered,  she  knew ;  and  that  it  was  not 
all  over  yet,  she  felt  prophetically.  But  in  her  peculiar 
mood,  all  the  fault  the  girls  had  found  with  Caspar  the 
night  before,  only  added  to  her  satisfaction.  She  was 
glad  he  had  some  faults,  that  he  pronounced  his  "  r's" 
hard,  that  he  bit  his  bread  instead  of  breaking  it,  that  he 
folded  his  napkin,  she  hoped  he  would  do  more  things 
so  that  she  would  have  something  to  forgive  in  him, 
when  it  came  to  the  time  for  confessing  her  own  great 
fault,  her  deception  of  himself.  It  was  going  to  come 
out  all  right,  eventually,  she  assured  herself.  It  must. 
So  she  endeavored  to  dismiss  the  fear  from  her  heart 
and  enjoy  what  the  gods  sent. 

There  was  no  reason,  however,  why  Caspar  should  not 
be  smoothed  down  and  trimmed  a  little,  as  Colleen  had 
suggested,  so  as  to  look  less  old  and  less  peculiar  to  the 
eyes  of  those  who  did  not  comprehend  his  splendid 
virtues  and  qualities.  Everybody  had  to  conform  in  the 
city  in  order  to  escape  notice.  She  knew  he  hated  to 
hear  about  style  as  much  as  she  did,  so  she  decided  to 
approach  the  subject,  gently  and  cautiously. 

There  he  was  standing  awaiting  her,  and  she  could 


CASPAR  WALKS  UP  FIFTH  AVENUE          205 

see  the  gladness  on  his  face  and  feel  the  joy  in  his  heart, 
as  she  approached  him.  She  felt  a  thrill  go  through  her. 
She  and  Caspar  in  New  York  City  together!  And  she 
thought  of  Everton,  who  had  brought  it  all  about  —  she 
was  always  thinking  of  him ! 

They  two  went  on  their  way,  walking  up  Fifth 
Avenue,  looking  into  the  windows  as  they  passed,  at  the 
paintings,  and  Oriental  vases,  and  splendid  works  of  art 
that  gravitate  here  from  all  the  centers  of  the  art-world, 
when  she  decided  to  make  a  beginning  to  her  efforts. 

"  That's  a  fine  thing,"  said  Caspar,  standing  in  admi- 
ration before  a  Russian  war-picture  showing  a  spirited 
scene  of  Cossacks  galloping  into  battle.  "  That's  a 
canvas  I'd  like  to  own." 

"  You  have  splendid  taste,  Caspar,"  said  Diantha, 
smiling  with  pleasure  to  see  that  he  knew  a  good  picture 
without  being  told.  "  I'd  like  that  myself.  I  wonder 
how  much  it  is."  And  she  led  the  way  into  the  art- 
exhibition,  but  Caspar  remained  outside,  gazing  after 
her  in  astonishment.  She  returned,  urging  him  to  come 
in  and  see  the  other  pictures.  "  It  is  a  free  exhibition," 
she  explained,  and  he  followed  but  rather  unwillingly. 

He  looked  after  Diantha,  who  tall  and  confident 
stepped  to  the  manager,  with  all  the  poise  gained  by  her 
years  in  the  city,  and  inquired  the  price  of  the  painting 
they  had  admired,  as  if  she  were  to  command  haughtily 
that  it  be  sent  out  to  the  carriage  at  once. 

When  she  had  returned  to  his  side  she  told  him  it 
could  be  had  for  three  hundred  dollars,  as  it  was  not  by 
an  old  master,  fortunately,  "  but  it  is  twice  as  good,"  she 
said  laughingly. 


206  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

The  more  embarrassed  he  became,  the  more  she 
waxed  confidential. 

"  Now,  Caspar,  I  have  always  thought  that  when  I 
went  to  housekeeping,  that  I  would  buy  one  good  paint- 
ing and  just  make  the  furniture  up,  out  of  boxes  and 
barrels,  covered  with  blue  denim,  and,  with  some  shelves 
and  a  blue  jar  or  two,  the  house  would  be  furnished; 
and  I  think  this  is  the  very  painting  I  have  had  in  mind 
all  the  time.  Suppose  we  get  it  this  morning? 
Wouldn't  it  be  grand  ?  But  what  is  the  matter,  Caspar  ? 
Don't  you  like  the  idea  ?  " 

No  wonder  she  came  to  her  senses  suddenly;  for  he 
was  showing  all  his  amazement  in  his  eyes  without 
speaking  a  word.  "  Yes,  I  like  the  idea,"  he  said  husk- 
ily, at  last,  and  then  could  get  no  further. 

Diantha  took  a  full  breath.  She  had  forgotten  the 
part  she  had  to  play  —  that  she  was  as  poor  as  himself. 
She  smiled  anxiously,  as  she  assured  him  that  she  was 
not  in  earnest,  only  joking.  She  gritted  her  teeth  to- 
gether to  think  how  nearly  she  had  betrayed  herself, 
and  led  the  way  out  faster  than  she  had  come  in. 

"  Whatever  put  it  into  your  head,  Diantha,  that  we 
could  afford  to  buy  a  three-hundred  dollar  painting  to 
go  to  housekeeping  with  ?  "  persisted  Caspar,  to  whom 
the  idea  of  its  being  a  joke  was  rather  puzzling.  "  I'm 
afraid  living  in  the  city  has  given  you  luxurious  tastes, 
and,  by  the  way,  I'd  like  to  ask  some  questions  about 
things  generally." 

"  Very  well,"  said  Diantha,  with  assumed  gayety, 
though  inwardly  protesting,  "  I  don't  want  him  to  find 
me  out  or  I  may  lose  him  forever." 


CASPAR  WALKS  UP  FIFTH  AVENUE  207 

The  old  lumbering  omnibus,  remnant  of  the  past, 
came  rolling  up  the  Avenue  and  gave  her  an  inspiration 
for  the  moment  to  avert  further  revelations.  "  O  Cas- 
par, there  are  two  places  on  top  the  bus,"  she  cried  and 
hailed  it  as  she  spoke.  Presently  they  were  mounting 
to  the  elevation  that  seemed  on  a  line  with  the  second 
stories  of  the  houses. 

Caspar  laughed  delightfully  at  the  wonderful  point- 
of-view  which  made  the  people  seem  like  manikins 
below  them.  Diantha  told  him  to  hold  his  hot  hands  up 
and  let  the  cool  air  blow  through  them.  As  usual  he 
took  off  his  hat  and  his  shaggy  hair  waved  in  the  breeze 
and  that  lock  fell  into  his  eyes,  yet  his  mind  persisted  in 
reverting  to  their  broken-off  conversation. 

"  I  want  to  know  about  your  Pleiades  Hall,"  he  began. 
"  How  did  it  all  come  about  ?  Who  pays  for  every- 
thing?" 

"  Why,  we  do,"  replied  Diantha,  smiling  again,  re- 
lieved that  the  picture-episode  had  dropped  from  his  ken. 
He  suggested  that  the  rent  must  be  very  high,  but  she 
assured  him  the  higher  up  the  flat  without  any  elevator, 
the  lower  the  rent  was.  He  wanted  to  know  all  about 
everything;  and  Diantha  explained  how  the  six  girls  co- 
operated and  how  it  cost  them  each  about  five  dollars 
a  week.  Then  he  wanted  to  know  who  bossed  the 
"  ranch  "  and  kept  things  going  so  smoothly. 

"  Oh,  that's  Colleen,"  responded  Diantha,  "  she  owns 
the  furniture  and  we  pay  her  for  our  use  of  it." 

"  Not  that  sweet-looking  girl  with  the  pretty  mouth 
and  teeth  ?  "  asked  he. 

"  Why,    Caspar ! "    exclaimed    Diantha,    delightedly, 


208  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

"  did  you  see  her  as  plain  as  all  that!  Of  course,  that's 
Colleen.  You  know  she  is  a  compatriot  of  mine.  She 
is  the  private  secretary  of  a  professor  at  Columbia,  that's 
the  college,  you  know." 

Caspar  pushed  the  hair  from  his  eyes  and  declared 
that  they  all  were  the  most  remarkable  young  women  he 
had  ever  heard  of.  "  To  think  of  you  all  coming  down 
here  from  that  bleak  old  Canada  and  finding  positions 
and  setting  up  housekeeping  like  that  for  a  little  over 
twenty  a  month  each." 

"  We're  not  all  from  old  bleak  Canada,"  said  Diantha, 
sweetly,  "  Seddie  is  from  the  '  Sooth,'  that  is  the  way 
she  pronounces  it,  and  Gene  is  from  the  Middle- West, 
Kansas,  and  Showery  is  from  Maine.  Vivian  used  to  be 
with  us,  and  she  was  from  California;  so  you  see  we 
are  a  representative  set  of  girls." 

"  Pretty  clever,"  mused  Caspar,  "  I  approve  of  the 
whole  batch  of  you !"  And  he  gave  her  a  smile  that  was 
most  ingenuous  and  boyish  in  its  admiration. 

"  Let  sleeping  lions  lie,"  is  a  good  proverb.  But 
Diantha  was  moved  on  the  instant  to  think  of  the  girls 
and  their  criticisms  of  him  the  night  before.  And  she 
wanted  the  girls  to  admire  him  as  much  as  he  admired 
them.  But  those  waving  locks  of  hair  stood  in  the  way 
of  their  being  able  to  see  him  correctly. 

So  gently  she  made  her  way,  and  finally  ventured  to 
suggest  that  he  would  be  much  more  comfortable  in  the 
September  sun  if  he  had  his  hair  and  beard  trimmed. 
Caspar  was  rather  fretful  over  the  idea.  "  Oh,  the 
miserable  stuff ! "  he  exclaimed,  "  does  it  need  shearing 
again?  It  keeps  me  poor  I  can  tell  you,  attending  to  it. 


CASPAR  WALKS  UP  FIFTH  AVENUE  209 

I  had  it  cut  last  month  and  here  it  is,  all  grown  out 
again." 

She  saw  an  opportunity  not  to  be  missed  and  suggested 
that  when  he  went  to  the  barber  that  he  have  his  hair 
parted  higher,  so  as  to  avoid  the  cowlick  which  made  it 
stand  up  so  fractiously,  that  the  outline  of  his  head 
would  be  better  with  it  parted  nearer  the  top. 

"  Nearer  the  top,"  repeated  Caspar  grimly,  "  you  are 
not  thinking  of  making  me  into  a  sissy-boy,  I  hope." 

She  assured  him  that  he  suited  her  exactly  as  he  was, 
but  that  the  girls  were  so  funny,  they  had  an  idea  that 
he  was  an  old  man  just  because  he  had  such  a  lot  of  hair 
and  beard.  He  seemed  astonished  at  such  an  idea  and 
observed  he  had  always  thought  that  old  men  were  bald. 

"  Just  what  I  told  them,"  she  said  with  a  superior  air. 
"  But  you  can't  do  anything  with  silly  girls.  They 
thought  you  looked  like  a  hermit,  you  know,  one  of  those 
old  codgers  who  lives  in  the  desert  with  locusts  and  wild 
honey,"  she  added  wickedly. 

"  Good  gracious,  is  it  as  bad  as  that?"  said  he,  half- 
laughing,  yet  not  amused  at  all.  For  Caspar  had  been 
compelled  to  view  life  seriously.  What  he  had  earned, 
had  had  to  serve  for  four  instead  of  one.  As  he  could 
not  increase  the  earnings,  he  had  learned  to  have  less 
needs  and  thus  it  had  sufficed. 

Pride  and  poverty  together  contrive,  from  much  suf- 
fering to  produce  a  man,  just  as  the  gardener,  by  much 
pruning  and  grafting  produces  a  new  rose.  But  who 
shall  say  the  rose  does  not  suffer  in  the  process,  as  well 
as  does  the  human-creature  in  becoming  a  man? 

Far  away  from  the  centers  of  civilization,  where  a 


210  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

man  was  a  man,  irrespective  of  clothes  and  fashion, 
Caspar  had  found  it  possible  to  survive  because  he  could 
reduce  his  needs.  In  the  great  city  it  was  not  possible, 
he  must  conform.  He  was  sensitive  to  ridicule.  He 
could  feel  that  he  was  at  the  mercy  of  some  great 
monster  who  demanded  his  poor  little  substance  which 
was  only  another  word  for  heart's  blood  after  all. 

Behind  the  counters  and  the  countinghouses,  and 
ruling  over  all  the  ships  that  go  to  sea,  and  above  wars, 
and  behind  ambassadors  and  over  thrones  and  potentates, 
stands  the  great  Earth-Giant,  and  his  name  is  Trade. 
He  is  busy  by  day  and  by  night,  never  closing  his  eyes, 
reducing  men  to  civilization  and  unifying  them  by  means 
of  fashion.  His  one  object  is  to  create  needs  —  to  do 
away  with  nature. 

How  then  should  Caspar  hope  to  escape?  An  hour 
later  he  walked  down  the  street  meditatively.  There 
were  smouldering  fires  banked  away  beneath  that  self- 
control  of  his.  His  heart  had  none  the  less  yearned  for 
a  little  of  the  sweetness  that  others  enjoyed,  and  like  a 
torturing  delight  had  come  Diantha  into  his  life.  Was 
it  not  enough  that  she  had  upset  his  head  and  introduced 
the  tantalus  of  love  into  his  thoughts?  He  felt  he  must 
maintain  his  balance  on  the  economies  still,  or  ruin  alto- 
gether would  supervene. 

Yet  as  he  went  along  down  Broadway,  he  found  him- 
self, for  the  first  time  in  his  life  glancing  at  the  image 
of  himself  in  the  mirrors  of  the  store-windows  as  among 
those  of  the  passing  crowds.  He  saw  the  shagginess  of 
his  hair  and  his  beard  and  the  loose  fit  of  his  clothes 


CASPAR  WALKS  UP  FIFTH  AVENUE  211 

and  knew  that  he  looked  quite  different  from  them  all. 
He  resolved  that  something  must  be  done.  He  would 
not  have  those  girls  of  Pleiades  Court  laughing  at  him 
any  longer. 


CHAPTER  XXIX 

CASPAR  GIVES   EVERYBODY  A   SURPRISE 

THERE  was  a  great  buzzing  and  a  quick  stepping  of 
light  feet  on  the  floor  highest  up  of  Pleiades 
Court ;  for  the  clans  were  to  gather  that  night  and  be  en- 
tertained by  the  poets  and  the  philosophers.  And  the 
Pleiades  girls  knew  from  experience  that  the  lesser  lights 
and  the  greater  poets  and  philosophers  as  well,  would 
require  earth-nourishment  after  the  banquet  of  the  gods 
was  over. 

"  Do  hurry  up,  Diantha,"  cried  Colleen,  "  you  sit 
there  beating  that  salad-dressing  as  if  you  were  in  a 
dream  and  there  are  all  these  berries  yet  to  be  picked. 
There's  no  use  expecting  that  slow  poke  of  a  Katy 
Johnson  to  do  anything  but  wash  the  dishes." 

"  I  wish  I  could  make  that  salad,"  said  Anna,  who  was 
just  fresh  from  Canada.  "  Where  did  you  learn  how, 
Colleen?" 

"  I  was  taught  by  the  broken-hearted  wife  of  a  biga- 
mist. You  have  to  have  a  broken-heart  to  make  it  just 
right,  I  can  never  make  it  as  fine  as  she  did,"  returned 
Colleen. 

"  Was  she  the  first  or  the  second  wife,"  asked  Anna 
full  of  wonder  at  such  things,  "  and  where  did  you  meet 
her?" 

"  She  was  the  second,  of  course,  the  first  wife  doesn't 
212 


CASPAR  GIVES  EVERYBODY  A  SURPRISE        213 

get  broken-hearted,  she's  only  too  glad  to  get  rid  of  the 
beast ;  and  the  poor  thing  lived  next  door  to  our  flat,  and 
she  cried  so  at  night,  we  couldn't  sleep.  So  that's  what 
comes  from  being  in  love  with  the  wrong  man.  Tell 
that  Katy  Johnson  to  carry  away  these  things." 

The  bell  rang  and  presently  entered  a  small  trim 
figure  crowned  with  masses  of  blue-black  hair.  "  Oh, 
it's  Vivian !  it's  Vivian !  "  went  up  the  cry.  "  And  what 
have  you  named  the  auto  ?  " 

"  Oh,  I  call  it  '  The  Gentle  Gazelle/  "  said  she  laugh- 
ing, "  but  Howard  insists  on  calling  it  '  The  Meteor.' 
How  are  you  getting  on,  girls  ? "  She  drew  off  her 
gloves  revealing  clusters  of  pearls  and  diamonds  spark- 
ling on  her  long  slender  hands.  "  Can  I  do  anything  to 
help?  Give  me  an  apron;  for  I've  got  on  my  butterfly 
gown." 

True  enough,  the  front  breadth  of  her  silken  gown 
was  covered  with  pink  and  black  butterflies  and  also  her 
corsage  and  her  hair  as  if  a  flock  of  the  pretty  things 
had  alighted  on  her  full  winged  for  an  instant's  stay. 
Soon  she  was  swathed  in  an  all-embracing  apron,  cutting 
sandwiches  at  the  table  and  telling  the  news  in  a  digni- 
fied, almost  matronly  manner. 

"  Dear  me,"  said  Diantha,  "  how  marriage  has  im- 
proved you,  Vivian.  I  can  remember  when  you  came  to 
New  York,  a  child-prodigy,  singing  those  folklore  songs 
of  yours  so  divinely  to  the  public  and  carrying  on  like  a 
little  tempest  behind  the  scenes  with  your  poor  mother." 

"  Oh,  yes,  I  did  have  a  bad  temper  in  those  days,  but 
you  know  I  thought  I  had  a  broken  heart  and  that  there, 
was  nothing  left  worth  living  for."  At  this  confession 


214  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

she  smiled  comically  as  if  greatly  amused.  "  But  I 
found  out  it  wasn't  love  at  all,  it  was  just  chills  and 
fever !  Oh,  what  I  used  to  weep  at  in  those  days,  I  just 
laugh  at  now !  " 

But  the  bell  had  rung  and  the  girls  all  scampered  to 
put  on  the  finishing  touches.  Colleen  was  the  first  to 
meet  the  incomer,  a  stranger,  a  handsome  young  man, 
with  smooth  face,  clear  skin  and  white  forehead,  in  a. 
stylish  summer  suit  and  with  a  straw  hat  in  his  hand. 

He  went  into  the  front  room,  took  a  chair  behind  the 
piano  and  sat  down.  The  other  girls,  appearing  at  this 
moment,  eyed  him  with  suspicion. 

He  seemed  aware  of  some  word  necessary  in  expla- 
nation and  said,  "  I  would  like  to  see  Miss  March,  and  I 
would  like  to  see  her  alone." 

A  hush  fell  upon  them  for  an  instant  and  then  there 
was  a  sudden  flight  as  of  frightened  quail  disappearing. 
Vivian  remained,  however,  to  make  the  stranger  feel  at 
home. 

"  Diantha,"  whispered  Colleen  at  the  door  of  her 
room,  "  do  hurry !  there  is  a  man  who  wants  to  see  you." 

"  A  man  ?  "  inquired  Diantha,  calmly,  "  what  kind  of 
a  man  ?  " 

"  Some  stranger  we  never  saw  before,"  said  Gene,  a 
little  wickedly. 

As  she  came  out,  a  shining  white  goddess  of  a  girl 
with  her  eyes  very  dark  and  her  hair  very  bright,  she 
said,  "  Don't  be  so  mysterious  and  scared,  strangers  don't 
eat  one,  I  hope." 

As  Diantha  entered  the  room,  Vivian  passed  her  by 
leaving  her  there  without  a  word  of  explanation.  She 


CASPAR  GIVES  EVERYBODY  A  SURPRISE    215 

saw  before  her  a  strikingly  handsome  young  man,  with 
curling  hair  parted  in  the  center,  an  athletic  figure  in  a 
light  gray  suit.  She  noted  in  a  flash  all  these  things. 
Where  had  she  ever  seen  anybody  like  him  before? 
Then  he  smiled  at  her  filling  all  the  room  with  sunshine, 
and  she  recognized  something  familiar  in  the  even  line 
of  the  white  teeth,  and  became  hopelessly  embarrassed. 

"  I  asked  to  see  you  alone,"  said  a  most  familiar  voice, 
"  and  now  we  can  have  a  little  talk." 

"  Caspar?  "  she  gasped,—"  Mr.  Rhodes !  " 

"  Why,  what  is  the  matter  ? "  he  asked  innocently. 
"  I  assure  you  it  is  only  my  clothes  that  make  me  look  so 
foolish." 

"  Foolish  ? "  she  echoed,  "  no  wonder  the  girls  said 
it  was  a  stranger !  " 

"  I  thought  they  seemed  a  little  offish,"  he  said, 
utterly  unconscious  of  the  change  in  himself  because  his 
looks  had  been  altered,  "  but  now  we  can  have  a  little 
chat." 

But  Diantha's  embarrassment  clung  to  her  still. 
Some  way  she  could  not  forgive  his  being  so  splendid 
and  different  from  the  Hercules  of  a  Caspar  she  knew 
and  loved.  It  was  as  an  elemental  man  he  had  won  her. 
She  did  not  want  him  to  be  a  fashion-plate,  the  same  as 
every  other  man.  What  if  it  were  true  that  all  men 
were  alike  after  all?  She  was  afraid  of  him.  She  did 
not  know  where  she  stood.  She  had  a  kind  of  a  stage- 
fright  that  upset  her  understanding  completely. 

But  Diantha  could  act  a  part  when  it  was  forced  on 
her,  even  though  she  had  been  shaken  to  her  heart's 
core.  Her  shaggy  rumpled  bear  was  gone  and  this  youth 


216  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

was  there  in  his  place,  but  she  must  not  let  any  one  know 
how  she  felt  about  it. 

Others  began  to  arrive  and  in  the  hall  Colleen  smiled 
at  her  and  said,  "  It  took  you  to  know  a  fairy  prince, 
even  though  he  was  disguised  in  a  bear-skin."  She  was 
willing  to  let  them  take  that  view  of  it. 

The  first  thing  on  arriving,  Howard  Rose  began  look- 
ing about  for  a  glimpse  of  the  shaggy  westerner  against 
whom  he  had  placed  his  bet  with  Stanley  Everton.  "  I 
don't  see  him/'  he  said,  sotto  voce,  to  his  friend. 

"  Ask  Quincy  if  he  is  coming." 

Everton  leaned  over  and  asked  John  the  question. 

"  Don't  you  see  him,  don't  you  know  him  ?  "  exclaimed 
the  tall  youth  in  hilarious  glee,  "  I  tell  you  it  takes  dear 
old  New  York,"  but  the  rest  of  it  was  lost. 

The  two  glanced  where  he  indicated  to  the  splendid 
young  fellow  sitting  modestly  still  behind  the  piano,  out 
of  every  one's  way. 

"  Well,  I'll  be  — "  exclaimed  Howard.  Then  his  mood 
changed  from  that  of  surprise  to  that  of  resentment. 
"  Spoiled,  all  my  fun,  too ;  he  owes  me  something  for 
that!" 

Everton  was  absolutely  startled.  "  Caspar ! "  he  ex- 
claimed, "who  would  have  ever  believed  it?  I  might 
as  well  give  up  —  this  ends  it  for  me."  And  though  he 
tried  to  smile  his  face  took  on  a  tinge  of  melancholy. 

"  Hold  on,  Stanley/'  said  his  champion,  "  don't  be  so 
sure.  I  told  you  I  didn't  believe  this  westerner  of 
Diantha's  was  all  she  thought  him,  and,  by  Jove,  I  don't 
think  so  yet.  He's  got  to  prove  it,  that's  all.  We've 
got  our  bets  on  him  and  he's  got  to  abide  by  it." 


CASPAR  GIVES  EVERYBODY  A  SURPRISE    217 

"  What  do  you  mean  to  do  ? "  asked  Everton,  fixedly. 

"  I  say  he  is  without  proper  grit,  without  '  the  sand/ 
and  that  he'll  squeal  when  he  is  hurt,  and  because  he  is 
shaved  and  shows  he  has  got  good  features  doesn't  alter 
anything.  If  he's  the  elemental  man,  he'll  stand  for  it, 
whiskers  or  no  whiskers.  Besides  we  owe  it  to  Diantha 
to  let  her  see  just  exactly  what  kind  of  a  fellow  he  is." 

"  What  do  you  mean  to  do  ?  "  asked  Everton  slowly. 

"  I  mean  to  give  him  a  good  scare  and  see  what  he'll 
do.  If  he  is  a  man  and  takes  it  all  right  I'll  be  his  friend 
as  long  as  I  live." 

A  false  elation  of  spirits  seemed  to  be  urging  Diantha 
on  to  the  most  reckless  introductions  of  the  guests  as 
they  arrived.  She  made  a  great  point  of  the  entrance  of 
a  most  harmless  looking  elderly  lady  of  no  address 
whatever.  "  Permit  me,  ladies  and  gentlemen,  to  make 
you  acquainted  with  my  friend,  Mrs.  Josh,"  she  said 
sweepingly,  "the  greatest  club-woman  in  New  York 
City." 

It  was,  however,  a  moment  of  real  triumph  when  the 
two  great  electric  arc-lights  of  splendor  shone  upon  the 
Pleiades  girls,  the  apostles  of  Henry  George.  Yes,  they 
had  both  come,  it  was  almost  too  good  to  be  true. 

Diantha  placed  one  upon  each  side  of  Mr.  Everton  to 
let  him  see  that  she  considered  him  to  be  the  honored 
guest  of  the  evening.  And  how  delightfully  he  greeted 
them.  It  was  a  proud  moment  for  them  all.  The 
evening  passed  as  on  wings.  After  the  delicious  repast, 
which  every  one  enjoyed,  they  all  went  up  on  the  roof 
of  Pleiades  Court. 

"  Our  roof,"  was  what  they  called  it  because  they  were 


218  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

the  nearest  to  it  of  any  other  floor  in  the  great  caravan- 
sary. The  lanterns  were  bobbing  about  in  the  summer 
breeze  most  charmingly,  like  an  Oriental  scene,  and  the 
lights  of  the  city  stretched  out  before  and  about  them 
endlessly,  and  an  orchestra  near  was  making  the  air 
sweet  with  sound,  and  every  one  was  delighted. 

Just  once  Diantha  forgot  her  part.  That  was  when 
she  perceived  a  lone  figure  standing,  gazing  off  on  the 
house-tops  from  a  dark  corner  of  the  roof,  silhouetted 
against  the  sky.  It  was  a  strong  splendid  profile  and  a 
vigorous  athletic  form.  As  she  looked  at  him,  she  forgot 
all  else.  What  was  it  he  reminded  her  of?  It  was  a 
poem  entitled  "  The  Sower." 

"  Not  his  the  lurchings  of  an  aimless  clod, 
For  with  the  august  gesture  of  a  god  — 
A  gesture  that  is  question  and  command  — 
He  hurls  the  bread  of  nations  from  his  hand : 
And  in  the  passion  of  the  gesture  flings 
His  fierce  resentment  in  the  face  of  kings." 

Yes,  he  could  have  posed  for  a  statue  of  "  The  Sower," 
especially  the  resentment  part  of  it,  she  thought  to  her- 
self. 

Colleen  came  at  this  minute  to  say  that  the  Apostles 
of  Single  Tax  were  going  and  the  roof -party  broke  up 
suddenly. 


CHAPTER  XXX 

CASPAR   DISCOVERS   THE    USE   OF   THE    COAL-BOX 

IN  the  midst  of  the  farewells,  Howard  and  Vivian 
were  insistent  upon  having  Diantha  and  Caspar  to 
dine  with  them  the  next  night. 

"  I  want  him  to  take  a  try  at  *  The  Meteor/  with  me 
in  the  afternoon,"  said  Howard. 

"  You  mean  '  The  Gentle  Gazelle/  "  corrected  Vivian. 

It  was  all  arranged  in  a  moment  and  the  Pleiades 
girls  were  to  come  also  in  the  evening,  and  bring  their 
young  men  with  them. 

John  Quincy  still  hung  around  trying  to  find  out  if  the 
girls  would  like  him  better  without  the  beard  he  had 
brought  back  with  him  from  the  West.  But  they  said 
no,  they  thought  he  would  look  too  much  like  a  boy. 

"  Boys  are  so  irresponsible  and  so  vapid,"  said  Gene 
mischievously. 

He  turned  to  little  Anna,  who  had  only  lately  come 
among  them,  and  asked,  "  What  kind  do  you  like  best  ?  " 

She  gave  him  a  shy  glance  from  her  soft  fawn-like 
eyes  and  replied,  "  Oh,  we  all  prefer  elemental  men/'  as 
if  she  had  learned  it  out  of  a  new  catechism. 

John  looked  puzzled.  "How  do  you  go  to  work  to 
get  that  way  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  Oh,  you  be  strong,  strong  enough  to  carry  your 
sweetheart  over  a  river,  like  Caspar  did  Diantha,"  said 
Anna,  sagely. 


220  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

From  the  roof,  all  solitary  and  alone,  came  Caspar, 
the  hero  of  the  river,  in  no  pleasant  frame  of  mind.  In- 
deed he  was  boiling  with  resentment.  Rivers  were  well 
enough  in  their  way,  but  roofs  in  New  York  were 
abominable.  He  had  found  them  so.  His  sweetheart 
had  not  come  near  him  the  whole  evening,  and  he  had 
been  to  such  trouble  to  try  to  please  her  and  these 
frivolous  girls  of  Pleiades  Court. 

Yet  under  his  wrath  he  was  suffering.  "  I  would 
like  to  see  Diantha,  Miss  March,"  he  said  to  Colleen 
in  a  voice  of  entreaty,  "  just  a  minute  before  I  go." 

"  Why,  certainly,"  cried  Colleen  yearning  over  him ; 
for  she  could  feel  that  he  was  unhappy.  "  I'll  get  her 
at  once.  Why,  where  is  she  ?  " 

Impatiently  he  stood  waiting,  hat  in  hand,  with 
Showery  and  Gene  and  Seddie  half  afraid  of  him  and 
yet  trying  to  make  the  awkward  moment  pass  some- 
how. 

Colleen  came  at  last.  "  She  says  she  will  never  see 
you  again,"  and  Colleen's  voice  was  tremulous,  feeling 
sorry  for  the  splendid  young  fellow  nobody  seemed  able 
to  understand. 

"  What  ?  "  exclaimed  Caspar  in  a  room-filling  explo- 
sion of  sounds!  "Where  is  she?" 

Meekly  Colleen  led  the  way.  "  I  didn't  dare  oppose 
him,"  she  said  afterwards  to  the  girls,  "  or  he  might  have 
smashed  the  furniture." 

Stopping  at  the  entrance  to  the  sacred  bower  where 
Diantha  had  hid  herself,  deterred  by  his  respect  for 
her  from  doing  as  he  desired  in  the  matter,  he  said, 
"Just  ask  her  to  come  to  the  door."  He  stood  close, 


THE  USE  OF  THE  COAL-BOX  221 

however,  with  his  foot  almost  holding  the  door  from 
being  closed  again. 

"  You  never  saw  such  a  sight,"  said  Colleen  after- 
wards. "  When  finally  I  persuaded  Diantha  to  go  to 
the  door  to  say  *  Good-night '  to  the  poor  fellow  —  for 
she  did  neglect  him  outrageously  —  what  do  you  think 
he  did?" 

Nobody  could  guess. 

"  Well,  he  simply  reached  out  one  of  those  long  arms 
of  his  like  a  great  claw  and  hooked  her  out  of  the 
room.  Then  he  took  her  to  the  coal-box  in  the  hall 
there  and  made  her  tell  him  what  was  the  matter. 
Wasn't  it  splendid?  Why,  he  is  the  nicest  man  I  ever 
saw  in  my  life.  No  wonder  Diantha  loves  him  so ! " 

To  this  they  all  agreed  and  John  Quincy  went  on  his 
way  home  thinking  what  was  to  hinder  him  from  being 
elemental  also. 

Out  in  the  hall,  dimly  lighted,  sat  the  two. 

"  Now,"  Caspar  was  saying,  "  what  is  the  matter  ? 
Why  did  you  say-  you  would  never  see  me  again  ? " 
But  he  never  relaxed  the  hold  of  that  strong  arm  about 
her,  lest  she  vanish  at  any  moment. 

She  began  to  feel  penitent  for  causing  him  so  much 
unnecessary  pain. 

"  Because  my  Caspar  was  gone  and  it  seemed  to  me 
you  were  just  the  same  as  —  a  total  stranger." 

"  Is  that  all  ?  "     His  voice  was  very  stern. 

She  admitted  it  was. 

They  arranged  to  walk  home  the  following  night  from 
Vivian's  together.  Then,  in  the  dim  light  of  the  hall,  she 
felt  the  smooth  face  of  the  total  stranger  press  against 


222  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

her  cheek,  and  a  terrific  crush  of  her  mouth  ensue  and  a 
bearlike  hug  from  those  long  arms  that  almost  threatened 
to  break  every  bone  in  her  body.  He  vanished  so  im- 
mediately that  she  could  hardly  hold  up  her  own  weight, 
and  there  the  girls  found  her  sitting  still  in  a  dream  with 
her  eyes  shining  like  two  stars. 

It  was  a  new  sensation  in  Pleiades,  top  floor. 

"  Well,  that  old  coal-box  is  now  sanctified  to  romance," 
said  Gene  in  her  offhand  way. 

"  My,  isn't  he  splendid ! "  said  Showery,  who  seldom 
approved  of  men.  "  He  makes  me  think  of  somebody 
standing  in  the  wheat-field,  only  there  was  nobody  there 
at  all,  only  the  figment  of  the  girl's  imagination." 

They  were  hushed  for  a  moment. 

Then  Seddie  spoke  up.  "  But  did  you  notice  that  he 
has  just  bought  a  new  straw  hat,  and  it  is  the  Seventeenth 
of  September.  That  isn't  being  very  clever,  is  it  ?  No- 
body in  the  city  wears  them  after  the  Fifteenth.  Caspar 
may  be  all  right  in  a  wheat-field  or  a  forest,  but  he's 
got  a  lot  to  learn  before  he  can  be  -a  New  Yorker." 

"  As  if  that  were  of  the  least  consequence  in  the 
world,"  said  Diantha  lightly. 

The  next  afternoon  at  three,  Caspar  was  seated  beside 
Howard  in  "  The  Meteor,"  alias  "  The  Gentle  Gazelle," 
and  speeding  down  Broadway  for  the  ferry. 

A  quizzical  little  smile  was  playing  covertly  about  the 
lips  of  the  fair-haired  man  as  they  crossed  to  Staten 
Island  on  the  ferryboat,  and  from  the  water's  edge  up 
the  broad  roadway  that  lay  through  the  Silver  Lake 
course. 

"  I  turned  her  loose,"  he  afterwards  told  Stanley,  "  and 


THE  USE  OF  THE  COAL-BOX  223 

I  nearly  ran  off  the  island  once,  but  with  all  her  skylark- 
ings  and  fancy  stunts,  '  The  Meteor '  doing  her  best,  he 
never  turned  a  hair.  And  when  we  got  to  the  house,  he 
told  my  wife  he  had  been  a  little  suspicious  at  first  that 
I  was  intending  to  scare  him,  but  when  he  saw  what 
a  masterhand  I  was  at  handling  the  machine,  that  he 
knew  he  was  perfectly  safe." 

"  Caspar  is  all  right,"  said  Mr.  Everton. 


CHAPTER  XXXI 

CASPAR  IN  WALL  STREET 

WHEN  Caspar  entered  the  office  of  Lockwood  and 
Everton,  the  following  morning,  he  had  very 
small  hopes  of  winning  the  approval  of  the  senior  part- 
ner, to  whom  he  was  to  be  introduced.  The  night  before, 
he  had  told  Diantha  that  he  would  be  glad  when  the 
ordeal  was  over,  and  he  should  find  himself  free  to  go 
his  own  way  again.  That  he  knew  he  was  not  adapted 
to  mingling  with  city  people,  and  the  sooner  he  returned 
to  the  West  the  happier  he  would  be. 

It  was  with  no  concern,  therefore,  that  he  entered  the 
presence  of  the  great  man,  Horace  J.  Lockwood,  and 
submitted  to  his  scrutiny. 

Horace  J.  was  a  tyrant  in  small,  in  his  world,  and 
men  rather  feared  him.  The  keen  eyes  in  the  withered 
face  were  fixed  upon  him  relentlessly.  Caspar  noted 
the  rounded  shoulders,  the  hawk-like  nose,  and  perceived 
that  here  was  the  restless  spirit  that  dominated  the  vast 
machinery  of  men  and  motive  power,  included  in  the 
Lockwood  Lumber  Company,  East  and  West,  in  and 
across  the  ocean,  denuding  mountains  of  their  forests, 
reducing  all  to  lengths,  freighting  away  and  shipping  to 
other  nations,  with  order,  zeal  and  relentlessness,  all  of 
which  was  understood  wherever  his  name  was  men- 
tioned. Forests  were  grown  for  him  to  buy  and  sell 

224 


CASPAR  IN  WALL  STREET  225 

again.  He  needed  men  to  do  his  bidding  and  they  were 
born  for  him  to  employ  and  use,  and  dismiss  again,  when 
he  no  longer  needed  them. 

By  contrast,  how  fine  and  splendid  seemed  Mr.  Ever- 
ton,  who  had  not  yet  become  a  mere  driver  of  the  vast 
machine,  but  still  had  emotions  and  impulses.  Had  he 
not,  Caspar  felt  he  would  not  now  be  standing  in  the 
presence  of  this  keen-eyed  remnant  of  a  man,  thus  await- 
ing his  pleasure. 

It  was  a  chance,  an  opportunity  for  him,  should  Mr. 
Everton's  scheme  come  to  a  realization,  and  if  it  did 
not,  he  was  no  worse  off  than  before.  He  met  the  gaze 
of  Lockwood  unflinchingly. 

"  Now,  what  do  you  know  about  electricity  ?  "  asked 
the  old  man,  querulously. 

Caspar  laughed.  "  About  as  much  as  the  next  fel- 
low/' he  said,  good-naturedly.  He  could  see  that  old 
Horace  J.  was  disconcerted. 

Everton  explained  how  he  had  obtained  a  place  where 
Caspar  could  study  up  everything  practically,  and  fit 
himself  to  undertake  the  introducing  of  electricity  into 
their  works,  in  case  he  proved  perfectly  competent. 

"  It's  a  big  risk,"  said  the  old  man,  fretfully.  "  There 
are  men,  now  out  of  a  job,  who  know  more  than  he  can 
learn  in  a  lifetime,  and  what's  the  use  wasting  time? 
Time  is  money,  Stanley  —  I've  told  you  that  a  thousand 
times,  if  I've  told  you  once." 

Everton  tried  to  smooth  him  down,  but  he  was  not 
disposed  to  listen. 

"  Haven't  time,  haven't  time ! "  he  exclaimed  petu- 
lantly. "  Take  him  away !  You  can  do  what  you  like 


226  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

on  your  own  responsibility,  Stanley!  You  might  give 
him  a  two  week's  trial,  and  if  he  succeeds  he  can  stay, 
and  if  he  fails  he  can  go  back  where  he  came  from." 
He  waved  his  fleshless  fingers  imperiously,  as  of  one  who 
was  accustomed  to  be  obeyed. 

This  dismissal  sent  the  heart's  blood  through  Caspar's 
veins  with  sudden  tumult.  In  spite  of  Everton's  waving 
to  him  to  keep  silent,  Caspar  faced  old  Horace  J.  and 
said  deliberately.  "  But  I  won't  fail,  and  I  won't  go 
back." 

In  that  second  he  resolved  to  make  his  own  way  by 
himself,  and  that  he  would  stay  in  the  city  if  it  cost 
him  every  drop  of  blood  he  had  in  his  body.  The  old 
man's  contempt  had  not  cowed  him,  on  the  contrary,  it 
had  brought  the  fire-like  spark-upon-spark  when  the  ham- 
mer hits  the  anvil. 

As  they  stepped  out  of  the  office,  Caspar  said,  "  I  am 
very  much  obliged  to  you,  Mr.  Everton,  for  all  you  have 
done,  but  I  will  not  trouble  you  further,  for  I  can  take 
care  of  myself — " 

"Don't  be  in  a  hurry,  Caspar,"  said  Everton,  very 
gently,  "  nothing  is  decided  yet/' 

There  was  a  sense  of  real  power  in  the  way  he  spoke. 
But  Caspar  had  recognized  in  the  old  man  the  same  in- 
sufferable dominance  that  had  actuated  the  younger 
Lockwood,  as  if  it  had  been  evolved  in  a  sort  of  imita- 
tion of  his  uncle.  The  exercise  of  such  a  spirit  as  that 
required  men  to  become  trucklers  and  parasites.  Caspar 
was  adapted  to  giving  faithful  service,  and  a  meed  of 
gratitude  to  the  man  who  hired  him,  but  not  to  yield 


CASPAR  IN  WALL  STREET  227 

up  his  manhood  for  the  mess  of  pottage.  He  resented 
the  very  idea. 

What?  Had  he  come  to  the  city  to  sell  his  freedom 
of  spirit  in  order  to  get  a  chance  to  give  his  service? 
His  blood  boiled  within  him.  He  began  to  feel  creep- 
ings  of  suspicion  of  every  one  —  even  of  Mr.  Everton. 
He  was  sure  there  were  others  in  the  city  to  whom  he 
could  sell  his  service  without  throwing  in  his  immortal 
soul  to  make  good  weight. 

They  came  out  of  the  front-door  together,  and  there 
stood  a  fair-haired  man.  It  was  Howard.  Caspar  was 
not  very  enthusiastic  in  his  greeting.  But  Howard  was 
full  of  excitement  about  a  flurry  in  the  Stock  Exchange 
and  paid  little  attention  to  Caspar.  Then  old  Lockwood 
came  out,  and  he  had  to  give  him  the  news  also. 

Caspar  was  astonished  to  see  the  change  that  came 
over  Horace  J.'s  countenance  at  the  announcement  made 
by  Howard.  He  was  eager,  smiling  and  exultant.  He 
rubbed  those  fleshless  fingers  together  in  uncanny  glee 
over  the  fact  that  his  side  of  the  game  was  the  winning 
side.  Howard  suggested  that  they  all  go  over  to  the 
Stock  Exchange  together. 

Caspar  made  an  excuse  but  Howard  insisted  so  warmly 
on  his  going  with  them  that  he  allowed  his  curiosity  to 
overcome  his  desire  to  get  away  from  them  all. 

Thus  the  four  men  arrived  together,  but  in  the  crush 
soon  became  separated.  Caspar  was  mightily  amused 
with  the  sight  of  the  brokers  in  the  midst  of  their  fierce 
battle  and  conflict,  which  seemed  to"  him  more  like  bed- 
lam let  loose,  than  the  Stock  Exchange  as  he  had  im- 
agined it. 


228  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

Then  he  felt  a  sort  of  pleasure  in  seeing  John  Quincy 
not  far  from  him,  standing  with  a  shorter  man  with 
dark  mustache  and  gray  hair,  evidently  John's  father. 
John  put  his  hands  to  his  mouth  and  called  across  the 
heads  to  him,  something  he  could  not  make  out,  about  his 
hat.  Caspar  gave  it  up.  Then  he  became  absorbed 
again  in  watching  the  countenances  before  him, 

"Drawn  faces  like  the  faces  of  the  dead, 
Grown  suddenly  old  upon  the  brink  of  Earth." 

A  spell  came  upon  him  of  wonder  as  to  how  these  men 
could  so  abandon  themselves  to  this  orgy  of  fearsome 
sound  and  excitement, 

"And  all  for  what?    A  handful  of  bright  sand 
To  buy  a  shroud  with  and  a  length  of  earth." 

Suddenly  Caspar  felt  himself  being  struck  over  the 
head  by  an  unknown  enemy.  Self-preservation  being  the 
first  law  of  life,  his  arm  flew  out  like  a  sledge-hammer 
to  strike  his  foe  to  the  earth.  But  he  found  himself 
beset  by  more  than  one  foe,  grappling  with  him,  so 
that  he  put  forth  all  his  young  strength  in  self-defense. 
Hands  and  heads  were  bobbing  all  about  him  in  a  mad 
delirium,  snatching  and  whirling,  and  all  the  wrath  in 
his  soul  against  everybody  in  this  abominable  city  broke 
forth  unrestrained.  He  pummelled  one,  and  smashed  an- 
other, in  the  center  of  a  wild  mob  trying  to  tear  him  to 
pieces.  He  gloried  in  the  rage  which  filled  his  soul  and 
gave  him  added  strength  to  cope  with  these  brutal  ruf- 
fians who  seemed  determined  to  tear  him  limb  from  limb. 

He  felt  his  coat  ripped  from  his  back  and  avenged 
the  insult  by  the  striking  out  anew. 


CASPAR  IN  WALL  STREET  229 

At  last  the  crowd  thinned,  the  assailants  fell  away,  and 
he  stood  alone  in  the  center,  watchful  still,  and  ready 
for  the  next  one  who  should  fall  upon  him.  His  coat 
was  gone,  a  few  wisps  of  straw  lay  at  his  feet,  his 
trousers  hung  about  his  waist  but  one  leg  was  ripped  up 
the  side,,  his  shirt-sleeves  fluttered  in  ribbons.  Still  he 
stood  there  panting  and  wary,  waiting  for  another  an- 
tagonist to  appear. 

Although  one  man  lay  on  the  floor,  in  evident  pain, 
and  another  was  wincing  with  his  hand  clapped  to  his 
jaw,  and  others  wore  rueful  countenances,  yet  the  ma- 
jority of  those  faces  which  a  few  moments  before  were 

"  Like  the  faces  of  the  wolves 
That  track  the  traveler  fleeing  through  the  night," 

now  were  spread  in  grins  of  enjoyment  over  the  scene. 
Caspar  could  not  understand  it. 

Presently  several  policemen  thrust  their  way  through 
the  mob. 

"  I  was  attacked,"  explained  Caspar.  "  I  don't  know 
why,  nor  by  whom." 

And  then  the  laughing  increased  instead  of  diminished. 

"  It  was  your  hat,"  insisted  John  Quincy,  who  pushed 
his  way  through,  "  it  was  your  straw  hat,  I  tried  to  get 
you  to  take  it  off." 

"  My  straw  hat  ?  "  echoed  Caspar,  blankly. 

"  Nobody  wears  a  straw  hat  in  New  York  after  the 
Fifteenth  of  September,"  explained  John.  "  My !  but 
you  did  put  up  a  pretty  fight !  Everybody  is  delighted.'" 

It  was  too  much  for  Caspar's  comprehension.  He 
simply  stopped  trying  to  understand  anything.  He  was 
under  arrest,  disgraced,  and  minus  his  clothes,  all  be- 


230  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

cause  some  one  had  a  prejudice  against  straw  hats  after 
some  arbitrary  date,  that  no  one  knew  anything  about, 
and  every  one  was  delighted  over  it.  He  turned  to  go 
with  the  policeman,  filled  with  the  bitterest  and  deepest 
of  resentment  toward  the  city  in  general,  and  the  fool 
men  on  Wall  Street,  in  particular. 

The  ambulance-men  were  lifting  the  man  who  had 
been  hurt  and  placing  him  on  a  stretcher.  What  would 
Diantha  say? 

There  was  nothing  to  do  but  to  follow  the  policemen, 
as  meekly  as  he  might.  A  tumult  rilled  his  brain.  He 
could  not  understand  why  everybody  was  smiling"  at 
him,  and  some  held  out  their  hands  and  said  "  Shake." 

"  Hold  on,  there,"  said  a  querulous  voice,  "  I'm  going 
on  his  bond !  Hurry  up,  Stanley !  " 

The  policemen  turned  a  second,  and  all  at  once,  there 
was  a  crowd  of  familiar  faces  near  at  hand,  greeting 
Caspar  with  warmest  enthusiasm. 

"  I'll  go  along,"  said  Howard. 

"  Don't  be  worried,  Caspar,"  said  Everton,  "  you're 
all  right." 

"  We'll  see  you  through,"  said  the  voice  of  Horace  J. 
"  Never  saw  a  better  scrap  in  my  life." 

And  some  excitable  individual  caught  the  name,  and 
cried,  "  Three  cheers  for  Caspar ! "  And  those  now 
smiling  brokers  responded  with  a  will,  lifting  him  on 
their  shoulders  and  carrying  him  in  triumph  to  the  Black 
Maria  in  waiting. 

It  was  followed  by  a  carriage  containing  three  men 
who  arrived  as  soon  as  the  police-van  did,  and  in  a  few 


CASPAR  IN  WALL  STREET  231 

moments  Caspar  was  surrounded  by  an  enthusiastic  body 
of  admirers  and  made  the  center  of  inquiring  reporters. 

"  Well,  Caspar ! "  said  Howard  when  he  had  secured 
him  new  clothes  and  he  was  a  free  man  to  go  forth  on 
bond,  until  called,  "  YouVe  made  me  lose  my  bet." 

"  I  don't  understand,"  said  Caspar. 

"Of  course  not,"  said  he  of  the  almost  flaxen  hair, 
smiling  pleasantly.  "  Stanley,  here,  bet  me  that  you 
couldn't  be  made  to  squeal,  and  he  has  won.  But  I 
don't  begrudge  it,  for  that  was  the  finest  knock-out  I 
ever  saw.  I  wouldn't  have  missed  it  for  a  thousand 
dollars.  Why,  it  beat  football  all  out  of  sight." 

"  Are  these  intended  to  be  compliments  ?  "  asked  Cas- 
par with  a  funny  little  smile  beginning  to  play  about  his 
own  lips. 

"You  bet  it's  compliments,"  exclaimed  Howard. 
"  Just  wait  till  you  see  yourself  featured  in  the  evening- 
papers.  Everybody's  your  friend." 

In  his  heart,  Caspar  was  doing  a  little  calculating.  If 
these  New  Yorkers  had  put  up  a  little  game  on  him, 
and  he  had  performed  to  the  satisfaction  of  all  concerned, 
why,  he  felt  he  had  no  compunctions  at  letting  them  pay 
the  damages.  He  knew  he  felt  very  much  better,  mentally, 
morally,  and  physically,  as  the  result  of  working  his  re- 
sentment off  on  somebody,  for  the  treatment  he  had  been 
receiving,  and  if  they  paid  for  the  fun  he  was  satisfied. 

Old  Horace  J.  and  Everton  and  the  others  kept  as- 
suring him  of  their  friendship,  seeming  to  delight  in  dis- 
canting  on  his  length  of  arm,  and  physical  measurements, 
as  they  would  upon  a  prize  ox  in  a  competition,  and  he, 


232  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

the  despised  fellow  from  the  West,  waved  away,  only  a 
few  hours  before,  was  now  a  great  success. 

Three  cigar-cases  were  being  held  toward  him,  but  he 
only  shook  his  head  in  reply.  A  hearty  invitation  to 
repair  to  a  neighboring  saloon  and  have  a  drink  for  the 
crowd,  did  not  disturb  his  equilibrium. 

"  You  can  drink,  if  you  like,"  he  said,  ingenuously, 
"  but  I  haven't  the  habit." 

They  wanted  to  show  him  some  hospitality  and  this 
was  the  most  convenient  method. 

Disappointed  at  these  points,  old  Lockwood  indulged 
in  a  bit  of  extravagance.  "  By,  thunder !  "  he  exclaimed, 
"  we'll  go  and  have  dinner." 

As  they  sat  in  the  splendid  dining-room  of  the  hotel, 
amid  the  wealth  and  beauty  of  the  great  city,  trying 
their  best  to  do  honor  to  the  guest  of  the  evening,  Caspar 
broke  out  into  an  irresistible  laugh,  that  brought  the  rain- 
bows out  from  within,  dancing  from  his  eyes  and  ir- 
radiating from  his  features. 

They  looked  at  him  and  smiled  in  answer  while  they 
waited  for  him  to  speak.  He  seemed  to  have  given  over 
his  last  suspicion  of  them.  He  believed  in  their  pro- 
testations as  genuine,  and  as  coming  from  what  answered 
in  a  New  Yorker  for  a  heart,  at  least. 

As  the  questioning  grew  in  the  eyes  of  them  all,  he 
said,  as  if  required  to  explain  his  inner  thought,  whether 
they  understood  or  not,  "  Such  a  way  to  make  friends !  " 

It  was  spoken  so  ingenuously,  so  unaffectedly,  that 
they  forgot  the  scrapper  in  the  modesty  of  the  man. 

It  also  recalled  to  the  mind  of  old  Lockwood  the  con- 
ference of  the  morning. 


CASPAR  IN  WALL  STREET  233 

"  That's  all  right,  we'll  show  you  what  friends  can  do, 
eh,  Stanley  ?  "  he  said  turning  to  his  partner. 

Everton  lifted  his  glass.  "  Here's  to  Caspar !  He  is 
the  best  man,  and  he  wins." 

But  he  looked  at  Howard  and  gave  him  a  significant 
glance. 


CHAPTER  XXXII 

"  BLOOD  IS  THICKER  THAN  WATER  " 

DINNER  was  waiting  at  Pleiades  Hall  and  the  girls 
were   declaring  their   hunger.     Katy,   the  colored 
girl,  was  in  the  kitchen  mourning  over  the  delay. 

"  We  are  waiting  for  Vivian,"  said  Colleen,  "  she 
telephoned  that  something  terrible  had  happened  and 
that  Howard  would  not  be  home  to  dinner,  so  she  would 
come  here,  so  as  not  to  be  alone." 

"  Something  terrible  ?  "  asked  Seddie. 

"  Here  she  is,"  cried  Showery,  and  the  black  haired 
Vivian  appeared. 

As  she  pulled  off  her  gloves,  she  said,  "  Don't  be  wor- 
ried, it  is  all  right." 

As  they  looked  at  her  without  much  intelligence  of  ex- 
pression, she  asked,  "  Didn't  you  understand  what  I 
'phoned  you  about,  Mr.  Rhodes  ? " 

"  Of  course  not ! "  said  Colleen.  "  You  said  some- 
thing terrible  had  happened  and  Howard  would  not 
be  home  to  dinner." 

"  What  are  you  talking  aboult,  Vivian,"  entreated 
Diantha,  "  what  has  happened  ?  " 

"  It's  all  right  now,"  she  insisted,  "  for  Howard  told 
me  that  they  had  bailed  him  out  and  that  they  were  all 
going  to  dine  at  the  Waldorf-Astoria." 

234 


"  BLOOD  IS  THICKER  THAN  WATER  "  235 

Diantha  began  to  feel  creeps  going  up  and  down  her 
spine.  She  sank  to  the  couch  nearest.  "Don't  be  so 
sudden,  Vivian,  bailed  who  out,  for  mercy's  sake  ?  " 

"  Why,  your  Mr.  Rhodes  —  Caspar  —  he  nearly 
killed  a  man  down  town  to-day,  but  I  am  sure  he  must 
have  been  aggravated  into  doing  it." 

"  Nearly  killed  a  man  ?  "  echoed  Showery,  very  pale. 

"  I  can  quite  believe  it,"  said  Seddie,  "  I  think  he 
really  is  dangerous." 

"  You  ought  to  be  ashamed,  Seddie,"  reproved  Col- 
leen. 

"  And  it's  in  the  evening  paper,  and  everybody  is  talk- 
ing about  it,"  added  Vivian. 

A  black  face  appeared  at  the  door.  "  My  nice  din- 
nah's  all  a-gittin'  spoiled,"  wailed  the  cook. 

"  Poor  Katy !  "  said  Colleen,  sympathetically,  "  Come 
in  and  sit  down  and  let  us  have  our  dinner  though  the 
heavens  fall." 

Gene  was  opening  the  paper  and  looking  for  the  item 
mentioned.  "  I  heard  something  about  a  man  having  a 
fight  down  in  Wall  Street  to-day,  at  the  Stock  Exchange, 
but  I'm  getting  bored  with  those  men  and  their  boxing- 
matches  and  —  why !  here  it  is !  What  on  earth  do  you 
suppose  Caspar  was  doing  down  there !  " 

"What  did  I  say?"  exclaimed  Seddie.  "I'll  bet  it 
was  that  straw  hat  of  his ! " 

"  What  nonsense !  "  said  Diantha,  impatiently. 

"You're  right,  Seddie,"  confirmed  Gene.  "It's  all 
here ;  how  they  banged  it  off  his  head,  and  how  he  began 
a  slugging  match." 


236  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

"  I  can't  understand ;  why  didn't  Howard  or  Mr. 
Everton  tell  him !  "  murmured  Diantha,  and  she  turned 
to  Vivian. 

Vivian  became  embarrassed.  "  It  does  seem  strange," 
she  said,  "  but  you  know  New  Yorkers  enjoy  a  thing 
like  that.  Howard  says  that  old  Mr.  Lockwood  in- 
sisted on  taking  Caspar  to  dine  at  the  Waldorf-Astoria, 
and  that  everybody  is  his  friend." 

"  Ye  gods ! "  exclaimed  Gene,  "  I  wish  I  could  make  a 
short  cut  like  that  to  fame  and  fortune." 

"  I  have  always  said  that  men  were  weird  creatures," 
exclaimed  Diantha,  her  grey  eyes  flashing  with  emo- 
tion, "  and  this  proves  it.  You  can't  deny  it,  Vivian." 

"  No,"  replied  Vivian  soberly,  "  I  agree  with  you  per- 
fectly." 

Dinner  was  over  and  John  Quincy  arrived.  He  be- 
gan at  once  to  talk  of  the  splendid  scrimmage  down  in 
Wall  Street,  but  Diantha  tried  to  calm  his  transports. 

"  I  thought  I'd  find  him  here,"  he  said.  "  My  father 
got  so  excited  that  he  had  a  rush  of  blood  to  the  head 
and  I  had  to  go  home  with  him,  but  I  knew  Mr.  Lock- 
wood  and  the  others  were  with  him  to  see  him  through, 
and  bail  him  out  and  get  him  some  clothes." 

"  We  should  prefer  to  hear  of  something  else,"  said 
Diantha,  loftily. 

"  Yes,  Mr.  Quincy,"  added  Colleen  in  a  clear  tone 
and  smiling  sweetly  but  with  decisiveness,  " —  for  a 
change." 

There  was  nothing  left  but  for  him  to  seek  the  cor- 
ner where  little  Anna  was  sitting  busy  with  some 
crocheting.  And  presently  he  was  holding  a  hank  of 


"BLOOD  IS  THICKER  THAN  WATER"        237 

yarn  on  his  hands  for  her  to  wind  from,  meanwhile  as- 
suring her  in  suppressed  tones  that  it  was  the  finest 
scrimmage  he  ever  saw. 

There  was  considerable  flurry  when  the  bell  rang  and 
Howard  and  Caspar  were  ushered  in.  Never  was  there 
a  more  subdued  atmosphere  pervading  that  sacred  spot. 
Reproachful  eyes  met  the  entrance  of  the  pair,  but 
Howard's  levity  could  not  be  suppressed  by  any  of  their 
devices.  He  insisted  on  giving  his  version  of  the  after- 
noon generally,  and  the  details  of  the  fight  particularly. 

Diantha  hoped  that  Caspar  was  not  going  to  be  flat- 
tered by  all  these  tales  of  his  prowess,  when  she  ob- 
served that  his  face  was  marred  on  one  side. 

"  You  were  hurt,"  she  said. 

"  It  doesn't  amount  to  anything,"  he  assured  her. 

Vivian's  husband  laughed.  "  You  should  have  seen 
the  others,"  he  exclaimed.  "  But  I  don't  believe  that 
Caspar  will  ever  wear  a  straw  hat  again  in  New  York 
City,  after  the  Fifteenth  of  September." 

"  Oh,  the  joke  is  on  me,  undoubtedly,"  said  Caspar, 
grimly,  "  but  not  on  me  alone ;  for  it  has  cost  quite  a 
neat  little  sum  in  addition  to  broken  bones,  torn  hats 
and  general  wear  and  tear  to  prove  that  the  population 
of  New  York  is  composed,  down-town,  of  men  who  are 
mostly  fools." 

Howard  was  still  laughing.  "  Well,  I  think  they  dis- 
covered that  one  of  the  population  was  composed  of  the 
walking-beam  of  a  steam-engine." 

"  Why,  of  course,  I  thought  I  had  fallen  into  a  band 
of  thieves,"  explained  Caspar,  "  and  I  resolved  to  sell 
my  life  as  dearly  as  possible.  How  could  I  imagine 


238  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

that  any  one  would  have  a  grudge  against  the  new  straw 
hat  I  had  just  bought  the  day  before  so  as  to  look  like 
other  folks.  I  have  made  up  my  mind  after  this  to  stay 
'  hayseed/  " 

John  left  his  corner  with  the  yarn  still  wound  on  his 
hand,  to  say,  "  Father  pretty  nearly  had  a  rush  of  blood 
to  the^  head,  and  I  had  to  go  home  with  him,  but  he 
can't  get  over  the  way  you  swung  out,  Caspar,  and  the 
way  you  said,  '  Take  that,  you  loon !  And  that,  you 
fiend,'  "  and  he  threw  out  his  arm  to  show  how  it  was 
done,  "  '  and  that  you  devil ! '  Oh,  it  was  simply  rich." 

The  girls  looked  on  and  wondered.  Would  they 
never  get  through  talking  about  it? 

"  It  was  Kilkenny  to  the  life,"  continued  Howard. 
"  Why,  the  clubs  would  have  been  only  too  delighted  to 
have  arranged  a  scrap  like  that  and  have  paid  a  five 
dollars  admission  fee.  I  bet  they  will  be  trying  to  ar- 
range a  side  with  some  big  scrapper,  and  I'll  bet  my 
money  on  Caspar  every  time." 

Diantha's  head  began  to  take  its  loftiest  poise.  Was 
there  no  way  to  change  the  subject? 

They  got  around  Showery  and  implored  her  to  play 
"  The  Spring  Song.'*  But  it  was  not  a  propitious  mo- 
ment. Then  they  clustered  around  Vivian,  who  began 
a  funny  little  talk  with  John  Quincy  about  "  Dear  old 
New  York." 

"  And,  are  you  a  New  Yorker  ?  "  he  asked  her. 

"  Why,  yes,  I  suppose,  we  all  of  us  who  live  here  for 
five  or  six  years  call  ourselves  New  Yorkers;  for  of 
course,  nobody  is  born  here,"  said  she,  sweepingly,  with 


"  BLOOD  IS  THICKER  THAN  WATER  "  239 

a  wave  of  her  hand,  "  that  is  to  say,  nobody  in  particu- 
lar !  " 

"  Yes,  and  that's  just  like  it  is  abroad,"  observed 
Showery,  who  was  entitled  from  her  own  knowledge  to 
speak.  "  Why,  all  the  artists,  musicians,  authors,  ora- 
tors and  great  men  of  London  go  there  from  the  whole 
world.  And  the  same  with  New  York." 

"  Of  course  we  must  except  the  children  of  the  im- 
migrants," continued  Vivian  with  a  grand  air,  "  and 
they  are  only  born  here  because  their  parents  are  not 
enterprising  enough  to  go  any  farther  after  stepping  off 
the  gang-plank  of  the  steerage-ship  in  which  they  ar- 
rived." 

"  And  where  were  you  born  ?  "  asked  John,  much  in- 
terested in  the  young  lady  with  raven  locks  and  such 
fantastic  ideas. 

She  gave  a  little  laugh.  "  Oh,  my  ancestors  never 
stopped  traveling  till  they  had  pioneered  it  across  the 
North  American  Continent  to  the  old  Pacific  —  and  I 
was  born  in  San  Francisco.  Where  were  you  born?" 
she  said,  adroitly  changing  the  subject  to  himself,  most 
pleasantly. 

Quincy  gave  a  half-attempt  at  a  smile.  "  I  was  born 
here,  in  New  York  City." 

The  girls  burst  into  a  ripple  of  laughter  that  filled  the 
room.  Vivian  sat  very  much  embarrassed.  "Of 
course  I  didn't  mean  that  every  one  born  here  was  an 
immigrant's  child,"  she  said  penitently,  but  the  laughter 
only  grew  the  worse  the  more  she  tried  to  explain. 

"Of  course  you  didn't,"  remarked  Quincy  good-na- 


240  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

turedly.  "  I  knew  that,  for  my  people  came  here  in  the 
cars,  and  they  came  from  Boston." 

"Of  course  they  did,"  exclaimed  Vivian.  "Girls,  I 
do  wish  you  would  stop  laughing." 

Then  she  had  to  laugh  herself.  "  Never  mind,"  she 
protested,  "  let  those  who  take  on  the  ways  of  the  city 
call  themselves  New  Yorkers,  if  they  will,  like  Howard, 
here,  who  was  born  in  Pennsylvania  for  instance,"  she 
said,  pointedly,  "  but  as  for  the  rest  of  us,  from  Canada 
and  the  West,  and  the  South,  I  shall  say  we  are  just 
plain  North  Americans." 

But  Howard  was  pretending  not  to  hear  and  asking 
Caspar  how  much  he  could  lift.  Again  stories  of 
mighty  prowess  filled  the  air  as  John  told  that  Caspar 
was  the  strongest  man  in  Northern  California,  and  that 
he  had  seen  him  lift  twelve  hundred  pounds  on  the  lift- 
ing-machine. 

"  Is  there  anything  in  the  climate  out  there  in  the 
West  that  makes  men  generally  stronger  there  than 
here  ?  "  asked  Howard.  "  What  state  are  you  from  ?  " 

"  Oh,  I'm  Pennsylvanian  by  birth,"  replied  Caspar. 

"  Pennsylvanian,"  Howard  echoed,  blankly.  And 
then  after  a  pause  he  asked,  "  What  county  ?  " 

"  Chester,"  said  Casper. 

"  Well,  I'll  be  — .  From  good  old  Chester  ?  And  here 
I've  been  taking  you  for  one  of  those  wild  and  woolly 
westerners!  I  wish  I'd  known  that  before." 

Caspar  looked  him  in  the  eyes  oddly.  "  What  dif- 
ference would  that  have  made  ?  " 

"  Well,"  said  Howard  slowly,  "  I'm  from  Chester,  it 
ought  to  make  a  difference." 


"BLOOD  IS  THICKER  THAN  WATER"         241 

He  got  up  suddenly  and  went  and  looked  out  the 
window.  Vivian  went  and  stood  by  his  side.  "  What !  " 
she  said,  "  and  are  you  not  altogether  a  hardened  New 
Yorker?" 

"  No,  not  quite,"  he  replied,  "  I  am  going  to  be  Cas- 
par's friend  as  long  as  I  live.  Blood  is  thicker  than 
water,  even  with  me." 


CHAPTER  XXXIII 


TT  was  a  chequered  existence  they  led  up  in  the  top 
••*  flat  of  Pleiades  Court  the  next  few  days.  Misfortune 
was  hovering  above  them  and  it  took  the  form  of  Show- 
ery being  bedeviled  by  the  kind  lady  who  was  giving 
her  a  benefit  concert,  in  her  own  contrary  way,  so  that 
Showery  did  not  know  what  she  was  about  and  feared 
she  would  break  down  in  the  middle  of  it.  Also  in  Col- 
leen's finding  herself  ousted  from  her  position  by  some 
well-to-do  girl  who  would  work  for  less  than  living 
wages  just  for  the  fun  of  the  adventure. 

"  But  why  do  they  want  to  do  it  ?  "  asked  little  Anna, 
who  was  new  to  the  ways  of  the  great  city. 

"  God  alone  knows,"  said  Colleen,  wearily. 

But  Diantha  objected.  "  I  take  the  liberty  of  saying 
that  I  don't  believe  even  God  knows." 

She  went  down-town  to  her  desk  in  a  brown  study, 
trying  to  see  what  could  be  done  to  relieve  these  stresses 
of  their  little  group.  It  is  said  that  the  trout  in  a  stream 
behold  with  indifference  the  agonies  of  their  fellow-fish 
while  being  lured  to  destruction.  Not  so  with  this  little 
bevy  of  New  York  women.  Pleiades  they  were  indeed, 
faithful  sisters  in  a  star-cluster,  shining  clear  and  bright 
for  all  to  behold  in  adversity  as  well  as  in  prosperity. 

But  what  could  Diantha  do  of  herself?  She  had  no 

242 


"  EVERYBODY'S  FRIEND  "  243 

power  to  work  her  will  and  bring  relief,  much  as  her 
heart  desired  it.  When  old  Horace  J.  Lockwood,  pass- 
ing by  her  desk,  startled  her  by  asking  if  she  were  set- 
ting the  world  to  rights,  as  usual,  she  said  meekly  that 
she  was  not.  In  his  own  peculiar  way  he  admired  Miss 
March,  and  presently  he  was  telling  her  what  a  good 
thing  it  had  been  for  the  firm  that  she  had  gone  West. 
He  could  not  speak  of  his  nephew  without  profanity  for 
which  he  apologized  as  a  habit  into  which  he  had  gotten 
while  at  sea. 

But  in  a  few  minutes  something  strange  came  to  pass. 
He  was  talking  about  Barry  Lockwood's  wife  and  chil- 
dren and  saying  they  should  never  have  a  cent  of  his 
money.  Diantha  was  constructed  on  the  plan  of  jus- 
tice. Besides  she  remembered  it  was  by  her  appeal  to 
this  last  spark  of  feeling  in  Barry  Lockwood's  breast 
that  he  had  relented  and  had  made  her  his  apology.  It 
was  but  a  trifle,  yet  it  loomed  large  at  that  moment  and 
entered  in  to  make  a  potential  influence  on  her  life  as  a 
subtle  undercurrent  of  force. 

She  endeavored  to  dissuade  him  from  his  prejudice 
against  the  innocent  wife  and  children  of  his  nephew, 
and  when  Everton  arrived  the  old  man  greeted  him  with 
a  queer  smile  twisting  his  parchment  face. 

"  Come  here,  Stanley,"  he  exclaimed.  "  What  do 
you  think  she's  putting  me  up  to?  It  is  the  blamedest 
thing  you  ever  heard  of.  She  wants  me  to  get  one  of 
Barry's  girls,  damn  him,  for  a  granddaughter.  How's 
that  strike  you,  Stanley  ?  "  and  a  quaver  came  into  his 
voice. 

"  I  think  it's  great !  "  said  Everton  in  reply,  but  he  was 


244  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

looking  into  Diantha's  eyes  with  that  benign  expression 
she  saw  there  so  often  now,  "  and  it  is  just  like  her  to 
suggest  a  thing  like  that !  " 

But  the  old  man's  heart  had  hardened  again.  He 
didn't  want  to  be  disturbed  in  any  of  his  old-time  ways 
and  habits.  His  present  pets  sufficed  and  this  entrance 
on  the  scene  of  a  little  human-creature  would  neces- 
sarily be  a  disturbing  element.  Diantha  gave  an  ap- 
pealing glance  to  Everton. 

He  bestirred  himself  in  response  to  her  silent  appeal. 
He  began  to  urge  the  idea  insistently.  "  It  would  be  a 
little  bother  at  first,  perhaps,  but  it  would  be  the  same 
as  getting  used  to  a  new  horse,  or  a  new  cat,  but  you'd 
have  somebody  to  talk  to  that  wouldn't  be  a  servant,  and 
that  would  be  something  worth  while." 

The  old  nian  said  he  would  think  it  over,  for  age  was 
hardening  the  walls  of  his  heart  literally,  and  it  was  not 
easy  for  him  to  take  on  a  new  idea  so  radical  as  this. 
As  he  turned  away,  Diantha  murmured,  "  Poor  man ! 
How  in  the  world  have  you  been  able  to  stay  in  part- 
nership with  him  all  these  years  ?  " 

"  That  is  a  mystery,"  said  Everton,  gently.  "  Per- 
haps it  is  because  I  needed  him  and  he  needed  me."  As 
if  he  were  too  loyal  to  discuss  his  partner,  he  asked  in 
a  mock-merry  tone,  "  By  the  way,  how  is  Pleiades  Court 
this  morning?  " 

Diantha's  face  took  on  a  shade  of  depression.  "  Do 
you  want  a  pleasant  answer?  or  do  you  want  the  truth?  " 
she  asked,  half -defiantly. 

"  The  truth,  by  all  means !  "  was  his  prompt  reply. 


"  EVERYBODY'S  FRIEND  "  245 

"  Well,  Pleiades  Court,  top  floor,  is  a  deep  ultra- 
marine and  lapis  lazuli,  this  morning." 

"  Explain,"  he  said  in  almost  commandatory  tone. 

"  It  would  take  too  long,  and  besides  it  is  in  vain,  as 
it  involves  the  problems  of  the  ages ;  laws  of  supply  and 
demand  and  all  the  rest  of  it." 

"  As  bad  as  that?  and  won't  Single-Tax  cure  it?  " 

She  gave  his  face  a  quick  scrutiny  to  see  if  he  were 
poking  fun  at  her,  but  no,  he  was  serious.  So  she  told 
him  of  the  stresses  weighing  on  their  little  group  and 
at  once  he  said  something  should  be  done.  She  could 
have  put  her  head  upon  his  shoulder  and  wept  her  grati- 
tude for  the  sympathy  that  was  shining  out  of  his  eyes 
upon  her.  And  also  there  was  a  dumb  look  of  suffering 
behind  it  all  that  affected  her  poignantly. 

"  Why  do  not  these  burdens  fall  on  the  swarth  and 
big?"  Everton  asked.  "  Somehow  they  especially  select 
the  frail  and  weak." 

"  Yes,"  she  continued,  "  that  is  just  it !  Showery  is 
just  out  of  the  hospital  and  ought  not  to  have  to  get 
up  a  musicale,  or  if  she  attempt  it,  the  effort  ought  not 
to  be  made  annoying  to  her.  Oh,  Mrs.  Blakiston  is  a 
nice  lady,  but  she  has  no  tact." 

"  Tact  is  a  good  word,"  observed  Everton. 

"  And  poor  Colleen  is  pushed  out  because  someone  else 
will  try  to  do  her  work,  for  enough  to  buy  ribbons,  and 
you  know  what  that  means  for  the  girl  who  hath  not? 
It's  a  choice  between  the  river  or  Blackwell's  Island," 
and  then  she  paused,  "  or  in  the  end,  worse !  " 

"  No  danger,"  he  said,  brightly,  "  not  with  our  girls, 
we'll  pull  them  through  all  right !  "  and  he  hastened  off 


246  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

at  once  on  some  sort  of  a  venture  in  their  behalf,  leav- 
ing her  in  a  state  of  happy  expectation. 

He  was  as  good  as  his  word  and  when  he  returned  he 
was  glowing  with  an  inner  excitement  that  made  his 
breath  come  fast.  He  had  found  a  place  for  Colleen 
in  a  bank,  with  a  salary  of  eighty  a  month.  And  he 
had  two  numbers  on  a  program  for  Miss  Showers  for 
which  she  was  to  receive  a  hundred  dollars. 

Diantha  looked  at  him  fixedly.  "  Oh,"  she  said  at 
last,  "  I  am  afraid  I  am  going  to  cry ! " 

"  Laugh,  you  mean,'*  he  said  jokingly.  "  And  now, 
how  are  you  and  Caspar  getting  on  ?  He  is  doing  finely, 
has  a  perfect  gift  for  electricity,  no  trouble  about  his 
making  a  success.  Has  the  day  been  set  ?  " 

Diantha  blushed.  "  No,  no,"  she  stammered,  "  we 
haven't  had  time  for  a  talk  yet  about  anything." 

Everton  went  on  to  say  that  Caspar  was  a  fine  fellow 
and  to  gloat  over  the  slugging  he  gave  the  fellow  who 
had  knocked  off  his  straw  hat.  "  Howard  considers  it 
the  greatest  bout  he  ever  saw  anywhere  —  professionals 
not  excepted,  and  Lockwood  says  he  will  bet  on  him  any 
time  —  because  he  gives  the  real  thing." 

Diantha's  head  was  lifted  very  perceptibly;  she  was 
annoyed  to  hear  of  the  affair  any  more.  She  did  not 
relish  having  her  sweetheart  put  in  the  category  with 
prize-fighters.  She  dreaded  hearing  any  more  about  it, 
lest  the  name  of  "  Caspar,  the  Slugger,"  should  become 
attached  to  him  permanently. 

To  her  great  relief,  Mr.  Everton  changed  the  subject 
abruptly. 

There  was  a  smile  in  his  eye,  as  he  said,  "  Would  you 


"  EVERYBODY'S  FRIEND  "  247 

like  to  take  the  old  man  around  to  see  Barry's  wife  and 
children  ?" 

"  What  ?  Are  they  here  in  the  city  ? "  she  exclaimed. 
He  nodded. 

"  Oh,"  was  all  she  could  say,  as  it  flashed  over  her  that 
he  must  have  hunted  them  up  of  his  own  accord,  and 
without  doubt,  was  assisting  them  to  live. 

"  You  are  the  one  to  do  the  noble  things,"  she  began 
impulsively.  "Of  course  I'd  like  to  take  him  to  see 
them;  I  don't  believe  you  have  done  yourself  justice, 
ever — "  and  she  broke  off  suddenly,  as  if  she  knew 
that  was  dangerous  ground  for  her  to  venture  upon. 

He  gave  her  again  that  half-sad,  yearning  look.  "  I 
wish  they  would  select  us  two  to  set  the  problems  of  the 
universe  straight/'  and  then  he  half  smiled.  "  I  think 
we'd  clear  some  of  them  out  of  the  road ! " 


CHAPTER  XXXIV 


T\/rANY  charming  times  were  theirs  the  next  few 
*•*•*•  days  and  evenings.  How  young  women  who  were 
breadwinners  could  so  suppress  their  occupations  and 
assume  a  negligent  air  of  prosperity  and  ease,  was  an 
art  all  their  own.  Music,  art,  literature  and  common- 
sense  dwelt  with  them  like  so  many  fairies  giving  them 
possession  of  things  that  mere  money  could  not  buy. 

It  was  against  the  rules  to  "  talk  shop  "  in  Pleiades 
Hall  of  Pleiades  Court.  The  two  half-starved  students 
of  medicine  and  dentistry  were  punished  for  their  in- 
fringement of  this  rule  of  theirs.  One  of  them  used 
to  ask  the  girls  as  a  pleasant  riddle,  "  Do  you  know  how 
many  bones  there  are  in  the  human  body?" 

And  for  this  he  received  as  title,  the  significant  sou- 
briquet "  Dr.  Bones."  The  other  who  drawled  out  the 
most  threadbare  jokes  and  had  very  sandy  hair,  was 
sat  upon  in  council  and  declared  to  be  as  "  slow  as  cold 
molasses  "  from  which  he  became  known  ever  after  as 
"  Poor  Old  Slow  Molasses." 

Diantha  tried  to  explain  to  Caspar  that  they  never 
spoke  of  their  housekeeping  or  their  business  or  anything 
which  concerned  themselves  when  they  had  company. 
That  it  was  very  crude  and  ignoble  to  spread  one's  inner 

248 


"  WOMEN  ARE  WHAT  MEN  MAKE  THEM  "       249 

feelings  out  all  over  everything  like  a  map  of  the  world. 

"  We  don't  wear  our  hearts  on  our  sleeves  for  daws 
to  peck  at,"  she  explained  to  him,  hoping  he  would  be 
amenable  to  the  hint  and  himself  take  the  suggestion  to 
heart.  She  wanted  to  gain  time,  until  she  herself  was 
ready  to  tell  him  everything  as  yet  concealed  from  him. 
She  had  taken  Colleen  into  her  confidence  and  had  bade 
her  keep  watch  over  him  in  case  of  any  leading  questions 
that  Caspar  might  ask  about  the  furnishings  of  the  flat, 
for  he  was  as  curious  and  inquisitive  as  a  child  over 
everything  he  saw. 

"You  will  have  to  say  everything  belongs  to  you, 
Colleen,"  she  said,  "  for  that  is  what  I  have  already  told 
him,  until  I  get  just  the  right  moment  to  explain  it  all 
to  him.  Of  course  it  is  noble  of  him  not  to  want  to 
marry  a  girl  for  her  money,  that  is  why  I  admire  him 
so  much,  because  he  is  free  from  anything  like  a  mer- 
cenary spirit  and  that  of  itself  is  so  refreshing  in  these 
days.  But  I  am  satisfied  now,  and  I  want  him  to  give 
up  that  idea,  but  it  is  not  easy  to  find  him  in  just  the 
right  mood.  So  you  will  have  to  help  me,  Colleen,  and 
do  your  best ;  for  it  would  be  a  tragedy  to  lose  him  now," 
and  Colleen  understood. 

In  spite  of  all  hints,  however,  Caspar  would  ask  ques- 
tions. He  wanted  to  know  many  things.  It  came  to 
pass  finally  that  in  an  unguarded  moment  little  Anna 
had  said  something  about  the  pictures  on  the  walls  be- 
longing to  Diantha.  And  when  he  was  led  into  telling 
the  kind  of  a  house  he  liked  best  composed  of  two  big 
rooms  with  a  great  chimney  in  the  center,  Colleen  inad- 


250  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

vertently  said  that  it  would  be  lovely  but  Diantha  would 
probably  have  to  go  to  Staten  Island  for  a  location  as 
land  was  cheaper  there. 

"  What  do  you  mean  ?  "  Caspar  had  asked  abruptly. 
"  Do  you  mean  to  say  that  Diantha  could  build  such  a 
house  as  I  mention?  For  I  could  never  marry  a  young 
lady  who  was  better  off  than  I  am  and  be  the  recipient 
of  her  bounty.  That  would  be  impossible !  That  would 
be  against  my  principles!" 

On  the  spur  of  the  moment  to  cover  up  her  confusion, 
Colleen  invented  an  aunt  for  Diantha,  who  lived  in 
Boston,  a  very  eccentric  kind  of  an  aunt  who  could  be 
relied  on  to  help  Diantha  to  a  little  home  if  she  wanted 
one.  She  signaled  to  Diantha,  who  came  to  them  at 
once,  and  Colleen  repeated  her  little  fabrication  and 
asked,  "  She  is  a  kind  of  a  funny  old  thing,  isn't  she, 
Diantha?" 

Caspar  seemed  suspicious  and  wanted  to  know  why 
he  had  never  heard  of  this  relative  before,  and  Diantha 
responded  that  she  knew  nothing  of  his  aunts.  Colleen 
decided  that  the  only  way  to  proceed  was  to  try  to  di- 
vert his  mind  from  the  subject  as  one  would  humor  a 
child. 

"  Oh,  it's  hardly  worth  mentioning,"  she  said.  "  But, 
Mr.  Rhodes,  if  you  object  you  might  do  like  a  man  I 
heard  of  once.  He  was  like  you,  and  so  he  took  his 
bride  down  to  the  canal  and  made  her  throw  in  all  the 
money  her  father  had  given  her.  He  said  he  wasn't 
going  to  have  his  wife  throwing  that  twenty-five  cents 
up  to  him  all  the  rest  of  his  life." 


"  WOMEN  ARE  WHAT  MEN  MAKE  THEM  "          251 

"  Well,"  said  Caspar  dryly,  "  I  am  rather  in  favor  of 
that  canal  idea.  I  should  prefer  it  to  being  made  the 
recipient  of  my  wife's  bounty.  I  can't  imagine  a  man 
sinking  so  low  as  to  be  supported  by  his  wife.  It  is 
against  nature." 

"Of  course  it  is  a  little  Quixotic  these  days  to  cast 
away  a  little  legacy  like  that,  especially  as  it  would  give 
such  pleasure  to  the  poor  old  lady  to  give  things  to  her 
namesake  —  weren't  you  named  for  her,  Diantha  ? " 
Colleen  was  pale  and  her  voice  very  faint. 

Diantha  was  flushed  but  she  agreed  that  it  was  all  so. 

Vivian  had  arrived,  and  Howard,  and  at  once  Col- 
leen begged  her  for  a  song. 

Vivian  stood  by  the  piano  with  her  back  to  it  and 
asked  what  would  they  have. 

"  Oh,"  cried  Colleen,  "  give  us  '  The  Call  of  the  Muez- 
zin on  the  Housetop  to  the  Faithful  Down  Below ! ' 
You  haven't  sung  it  for  us  in  a  long  time.  It  has  been 
chanting  itself  in  my  head  all  day." 

Very  simply,  almost  like  a  child,  Vivian  assented.  In 
a  red  and  white  striped  muslin  with  a  coral  necklace 
about  her  neck,  and  her  masses  of  black  hair  heaped 
about  her  olive-clear  face,  she  looked  Oriental  enough 
to  be  Egyptian  herself.  Her  clear  gray  eyes  were  lu- 
minous with  feeling  as  she  intoned  the  weird  chant  in 
the  original  Arabic,  and  although  not  knowing  the  words, 
yet  Caspar  was  thrilled  by  the  intensity  with  which  she 
gave  the  strange  song. 

Suddenly  he  found  himself  drawn  away  and  almost 
startled  at  the  wrapt  expression  of  joy  upon  the  face 


252  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

of  Vivian's  husband.  He  seemed  almost  in  a  trance 
while  it  lasted  and  not  till  the  last  note  had  died  away 
did  he  come  to  himself  again. 

"  You  can  see  how  he  admires  his  wife,"  said  Diantha 
significantly,  as  if  trying  to  not  say  too  much.  "  Why, 
I  shouldn't  wonder  if  he  loves  her  more  than  his  auto- 
mobile." 

"  Yes,"  said  Caspar  in  a  whisper,  "  he  does  love  her, 
the  way  I  love  you,  Diantha." 

If  that  canal  Colleen  had  spoken  of,  had  been  there 
before  her  at  that  moment,  all  of  Diantha's  treasures  — 
pictures,  books,  bonds  and  bank-accounts,  would  have 
been  swallowed  up  in  the  dark  flood  forever. 

It  was  the  next  afternoon  that  many  excitements  fol- 
lowed fast  upon  each  other's  heels  to  keep  them  all  in  a 
flurry  and  bustle.  First  came  John  Quincy,  who  an- 
nounced he  had  ten  tickets  to  the  roof -garden  and 
wanted  to  know  who  would  go  with  him.  His  dark 
brown  eyes  were  as  melancholy  as  ever,  but  that  was 
not  because  of  any  internal  feeling,  Diantha  knew  by 
this  time,  it  was  merely  the  mould  that  nature  had  cast 
them  in. 

As  they  were  deciding  to  send  word  to  Dr.  Bones  and 
poor  old  Slow  Charlie,  there  came  a  telephone  message 
from  Mr.  Everton  inviting  them  all  to  a  sail  in  old  Lock-, 
wood's  yacht  for  a  Sunday  outing.  Diantha  hesitated 
accepting  on  Gene's  account  as  well  as  their  own.  She 
remembered  that  that  was  the  way  poor  unfortunate  Ray 
had  started  on  her  downward  career. 

She  knew  how  Gene  liked  to  do  daring  things,  how 
she  had  her  little  tricks  of  letting  the  men- folks  feed 


"  WOMEN  ARE  WHAT  MEN  MAKE  THEM  "    253 

her  cherries  one  by  one,  and  of  putting  posies  into  their 
buttonholes  in  a  familiar  way  that  caused  the  other  girls 
to  wince.  Much  as  she  wanted  to  give  them  all  such  a 
pleasure,  especially  Showery,  who  needed  it,  she  felt 
they  could  not  afford  to  run  any  risks  of  being  misun- 
derstood, by  the  guests  on  the  yacht. 

She  called  Gene  to  her  and  explained.  "  It  all  de- 
pends on  you,  my  dear  girl,"  she  said  meaningly.  "  We 
must  have  dignity  and  show  that  we  hold  ourselves  high, 
that  we  are  not  willing  to  go  without  a  careful  chaper- 
one,  and  I  will  accept  if  you  will  be  that  chaperone." 

Gene  held  herself  straighter  and  assumed  a  more 
stately  air.  "  I  understand,  you  want  me  to  wear  a  gray 
wig,  and  dress  old,  act  old,  and  keep  watch  over  you  all." 

"  Yes,  that  is  just  it,"  said  Diantha  decisively. 

"  Good ! "  exclaimed  Gene,  "  maybe  the  chief  will  let 
me  make  a  write-up  of  my  experience  for  the  Sunday 
Flyer."  That  she  should  make  a  success  of  her  imper- 
sonation Diantha  had  suggested  that  Gene  go  with  them 
to  the  roof-garden  in  her  new  part.  And  thus  it  had 
come  to  pass  that  the  group  of  ten,  under  the  apparent 
protection  of  a  gray-haired  lady  in  costume  severely  sim- 
ple as  if  in  second  mourning,  passed  into  the  throng 
that  evening  at  the  roof-garden  and  found  seats  around 
one  of  the  tables. 

Never  had  Gene  looked  prettier  nor  more  interesting, 
Diantha  was  thinking  to  herself  when  she  felt  the  bold 
gaze  of  an  elderly  man  sitting  near  them  bent  upon  her- 
self peculiarly.  By  his  side  was  a  silver-haired  lady, 
most  beautifully  gowned  in  a  thin  white  goods  inset  with 
lace  like  a  baby-dress  might  be,  it  was  so  fine  and  deli- 


254  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

cate.  At  her  throat  blazed  a  diamond  cross.  She  recog- 
nized the  man,  it  was  "  His  Satanic  Majesty,"  the  father 
of  John  Quincy,  and  the  lady  was  doubtless  his  "  Aunt 
Ruth,"  but  neither  of  them  returned  John's  awkward 
bow,  and  Diantha  realized  that  this  discourtesy  was  be- 
ing done  "  on  purpose." 

In  defence  of  their  little  clan  she  decided  at  once  what 
was  to  be  done.  She  made  John  arise  and  take  Miss 
Lenore  to  the  other  table  and  introduce  her  and  invite 
his  father  and  aunt  to  join  them  all  at  their  table.  All 
this  was  done  so  promptly,  that  only  Caspar  and  Col- 
leen had  had  a  suspicion  of  the  real  facts  of  the  case. 
But  all  were  in  a  flutter  as  the  two  strangers  were  intro- 
duced, save  Diantha,  who  was  equal  to  all  occasions. 

Miss  Lenore  did  her  best.  "  It  is  said  that  a  little 
pleasure  now  and  then  is  relished  by  the  best  of  men," 
she  said,  archly,  and  added,  "  and  why  not  the  women 
as  well?  That's  why  we  came." 

Col.  Quincy  was  a  gallant  gentleman  as  well  as  being 
a  hardened  New  Yorker.  His  brown  eyes  gleamed 
wickedly  as  he  responded  something  about  it  being  un- 
derstood that  the  men  embraced  the  women,  of  course; 
which  brilliancy  from  his  worn-out  repertoire  was  re- 
ceived with  silence. 

John  then  introduced  Miss  March  as  the  clever  book- 
keeper who  had  saved  the  money  from  being  stolen  out 
at  Boulder  Camp,  and  Caspar  as  the  hero  of  Wall  Street. 
In  spite  of  his  splendid  military  bearing  and  his  hand- 
some brown  mustache  in  such  contrast  to  his  iron-gray 
hair,  the  gallant  Colonel  affected  the  girls  unpleasantly. 
There  was  an  expression  upon  his  face  as  if  he  had 


"  WOMEN  ARE  WHAT  MEN  MAKE  THEM  "    255 

been  through  every  emotion  to  the  surfeiting  point,  and 
it  had  left  a  bad  taste  in  his  mouth.  Nearly  all  of  them 
instinctively  drew  away  to  speak  to  one  of  their  own 
number,  even  the  poor  students  loomed  up  at  this  mo- 
ment in  contrast,  for  though  they  were  half-starved,  yet 
were  they  very  human,  which  this  man  was  not.  The  one 
exception  was  Miss  Lenore,  who  in  her  half-mourning 
was  pleased  to  be  noticed  by  so  prominent  and  wealthy 
a  man,  even  in  spite  of  his  reputation  from  which  he 
had  been  called,  "  His  Satanic  Majesty." 

But  Colleen  and  Diantha  devoted  themselves  to  the 
daintily  robed  Miss  Quincy,  whom  they  found  very  de- 
lightful. Presently  they  were  discussing  Mr.  Everton 
with  her,  and  she  told  them  that  they  were  due  on  the 
yacht  of  Mr.  Lockwood,  on  the  following  Sunday. 

"  Yes,"  said  Diantha,  "  and  we  have  been  invited  also." 

"  And  accepted,  I  hope,"  said  the  Colonel  gallantly. 

"  You  are  acquainted  with  Mr.  Everton,  of  course," 
said  Diantha.  "  Have  you  known  him  long  ?  " 

Col.  Quincy  pulled  at  his  handsome  dark  mustache 
and  told  her  in  a  flippant  sort  of  way  that  they  had 
been  boon-companions  for  about  ten  years. 

Diantha  had  been  glad  to  escape  and  find  herself  on 
the  way  home.  She  hardly  heard  Colleen's  proposition 
that  they  take  a  gallon  of  ice-cream,  home  with  them, 
she  was  so  busy  thinking.  She  only  came  to  herself 
when  they  were  all  clustered  about  the  hospitable  board 
and  being  served  by  Colleen  with  the  frozen  confection. 

John  was  sitting  there  beaming  with  delight.  "  Do 
you  know,"  he  was  saying,  "  this  is  the  first  place  that  it 
ever  seemed  to  me  I  wanted  to  call  '  home/  " 


256  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

No  longer  being  able  to  contain  her  feelings  Diantha 
burst  out  into  a  wild  argument  that  made  everyone 
pause  with  spoon  in  air  and  suspension  of  appetite. 

"  Isn't  it  terrible,"  she  began,  "  to  think  of  the  power 
you  men  have  in  this  world?  How  you  can  do  anything 
and  be  anything  and  it  is  all  right?  How  you  could  lift 
the  world  and  make  it  almost  a  Paradise,  but  you  prefer 
to  drag  it  down  and  put  it  under  your  feet  ?  " 

"  Don't  look  at  me  in  that  tone  of  voice,"  protested 
Dr.  Bones  piteously,  "  not  guilty  here !  " 

"Ditto/'  drawled  Slow  Charlie. 

Caspar  seemed  annoyed.  "  Who  is  doing  all  this  ?  " 
he  asked  calmly. 

Diantha  was  thinking  of  that  unfortunate  girl  cast  out 
forever  that  once  had  been  one  of  their  group,  and  of 
the  effrontery  of  that  man  by  whom  she  had  become  a 
'  Lost  Pleiad,"  all  safe  and  secure  from  any  punish- 
ment. 

"  You  and  you !  "  she  cried,  "  all  four  of  you  !  You 
are  men  are  you  not?  And  what  one  man  does  all  men 
do!" 

"  Hardly,"  said  Caspar,  who  was  angry  at  these  words. 

"  Well,  it  is  a  fact  that  you  do  not  want  the  world  to 
be  better  and  happier,"  exclaimed  Diantha,  "  or  you 
would  do  differently.  You,  all  of  you,  prefer  to  keep 
women  from  having  souls  of  their  own!  You  want 
them  to  be  slaves!  It  is  the  men  themselves  who  like 
them  to  be  dolls,  to  be  puppets,  to  be  amusing,  and  we  do 
not  like  it  at  all,  but  we  have  to  —  to  please  you!  But 
I  want  to  tell  you  right  here  that  all  the  wrongs  and  all 
the  miseries  are  to  be  laid  at  your  door  because  of  this 


"  WOMEN  ARE  WHAT  MEN  MAKE  THEM  "   257 

thing,  for  such  treatment  turns  some  of  us  into  devils 
and  some  into  fools." 

"  Ah,  now,  Miss  March,"  said  John,  penitently,  "  for- 
give me  for  whatever  I've  done,  and  tell  me  how  not  to 
do  it  again." 

"  Such,  nonsense !  "  said  Caspar,  disapprovingly. 

"  Oh,  yes,"  she  continued,  "  you  can  call  it  nonsense, 
if  you  like.  But  it  is  the  great  tragedy  of  this  world; 
for  you  must  know  that  women  are  what  men  make 
them!" 

"  On  the  contrary,"  protested  Caspar,  "  it  is  the 
women  who  make  the  men  what  they  are." 

"  Oh,  no,  no,"  said  Diantha,  shaking  her  head  mourn- 
fully. "  Never,  never,  never !  "  She  was  thinking  how 
he  had  compelled  herself  and  Colleen  to  lie  to  him  in 
order  to  please  him. 


CHAPTER  XXXV 

JOHN  QUINCY  TRIES  TO  BECOME  ELEMENTAL 

\T7HILE  Diantha  and  Caspar  remained  talking  in  the 
dining-room,  the  two  students  escaped  and  the 
girls  sat  talking  in  the  front  room  about  the  coming 
yacht  trip  and  what  they  should  wear;  John  and  Anna 
had  established  themselves  in  the  window  by  the  fire- 
escape. 

Lifting  her  fawn-eyes  to  his  suddenly,  she  broke  into 
a  new  subject  that  startled  him.  She  wanted  to  know 
what  kind  of  a  business  he  preferred. 

He  assured  her  his  father  was  rich  and  he  didn't  need 
to  do  anything. 

But  she  had  different  ideas  from  his,  and  hinted  that 
he  might  lose  every  dollar  he  had  in  the  world  and  added, 
"  Then  where  would  you  be  ?  I  was  brought  up  to  re- 
spect labor  and  industry,  and  I  can't  admire  a  lazy  man," 
she  said  with  dignity. 

"  Do  you  think  I  am  lazy  ?  "  inquired  John,  somewhat 
alarmed. 

She  tried  to  save  his  feelings  by  evading  the  answer 
directly.  "  Well,  all  our  girls  say  that  a  man  is  no  good 
unless  he  is  elemental,  and  strong,  and  powerful." 

"  Like  Caspar  ?  "  asked  John,  eagerly,  as  it  occurred  to 
him  that  he  knew  one  way  of  his  that  had  seemed  to  meet 
with  the  approval  of  the  girls. 

258 


JOH'N  QUINCY  BECOMES  ELEMENTAL         259 

"  Yes,  in  some  ways,"  murmured  Anna,  "  you  know 
he  carried  Diantha  across  the  river;  a  man  has  to  have 
strong  arms  to  be  of  any  account." 

John's  mind  was  made  up  at  once.  He  would  show 
her  that  he  could  carry  her  all  right,  if  only  he  had  a 
river  handy.  "  Come  on,  out  here  in  the  hall/'  said  he 
determinedly,  "  and  tell  me  what  business  you  think  you 
would  like  best." 

The  hour  was  getting  close  on  to  twelve.  "  Why  don't 
those  men  go  home,"  exclaimed  Seddie.  "  What  a 
nuisance  they  are ! "  At  last  Colleen  went  into  the 
dining-room  where  still  sat  Diantha  and  Caspar  holding 
forth. 

"  It's  half -past  twelve,"  she  said,  exaggerating  a 
little  — "  where  are  Anna  and  John  ?  " 

Caspar  apologized  and  hastened  off  promptly. 
"  Where  are  those  children  ?  "  exclaimed  Diantha,  fully 
awake  to  her  responsibility. 

The  two  went  looking  around,  as  if  for  a  mouse  that 
had  hidden  itself  in  a  cranny,  exchanging  glances  of 
surprise  at  the  whole  affair.  Finally  they  turned  into 
the  back  hall,  near  where  the  ice-chest  stood.  There 
seated  on  the  coal-box,  in  the  dark  nook,  were  the  two, 
as  quiet  as  mice,  indeed,  and  both  had  very  big  eyes  from 
sitting  in  the  gloom,  and  both  seemed  very  depressed. 

"  Oh,  you  silly  things ! "  cried  Diantha,  "  you  gave  us 
such  a  fright!  Do  you  know  what  time  it  is?  It  is 
nearly  one,"  she  said,  also  exaggerating,  as  was  the  habit 
of  Pleiades  Court  under  these  circumstances. 

"  I  suppose  I'd  better  be  going,"  said  John  wistfully. 

"  Well,  I  should  think  so !  "  exclaimed  Diantha.     "  You 


260  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

will  get  yourself  disliked,  young  man,  as  much  as  was 
Slow  Molasses  Charlie,  till  he  learned  our  rules.  You 
had  better  hurry,"  she  added  for  emphasis,  "  this  is 
against  the  rules.  And  Anna!  I'm  surprised  at  you!" 

But  the  girl  made  no  reply.  They  came  out  into  the 
front  hall  and  there  John  stood  as  if  turned  to  stone. 
There  came  audible  groans  from  the  front  room  from 
the  three  girls  there,  impatiently  awaiting  his  departure. 

"Turn  him  out,  turn  him  out,"  cried  Seddie  in  de- 
rision, "  did  you  ever  hear  my  parrot  say  that  ?  "  Gene 
said  something  else  equally  fitting  to  the  occasion,  and 
even  gentle  Showery  fell  in  with  the  spirit  of  defiance 
against  the  lingerer  in  the  hall,  and  she  cried  out  that  her 
parrot  used  to  say,  "  Good-by  to  you  and  don't  stay  so 
long  next  time."  Then  having  relieved  their  feelings 
they  felt  better  and  gave  way  to  peals  of  elfish  laughter. 

"  What  is  it,  you  poor  things  ?  "  asked  Diantha,  finally, 
for  John  spoke  not  a  word  in  resentment  of  all  this  sport 
at  his  expense.  He  only  stood  and  gloomed. 

Then  Seddie,  in  spitefulness,  no  longer  to  be  repressed, 
drew  off  her  loosened  shoe  and  flung  it  into  the  hall, 
where  it  struck  against  the  rack,  and  knocked  down 
John's  hat  to  the  floor.  At  this  piece  of  legerdemain, 
another  peal  of  laughter  burst  forth. 

"  Girls,  I'm  ashamed  of  you,"  said  Diantha,  trying  to 
maintain  the  dignity  of  the  occasion. 

"  They  are  so  tired,"  said  Colleen,  in  excuse. 

"  True  enough.  Well,  close  the  door,  and  we  will  go 
into  the  kitchen  where  we  shall  disturb  no  one.  This 
matter  needs  looking  into." 

She  led  the  way,  and  Anna  and  John  followed  her. 


JOHN  QUINCY  BECOMES  ELEMENTAL         261 

Neither  of  them  looked  very  happy,  and  yet  it  was  the 
misery  of  love  that  was  their  affliction. 

"  This  is  a  very  serious  matter,  I  am  afraid,  John," 
Diantha  began,  "  and  I  am  sure  that  your  father  will  be 
angry  with  us.  You  ought  to  be  more  considerate,  you 
really  ought.  Your  father  will  think  we  are  trying 
to  — "  she  hesitated  and  then  fell  back  on  language  she 
thought  would  be  calculated  to  strike  the  young  man  the 
most  forcibly,  "  to  rope  you  in,  and  that  would  be 
terrible.  To  say  nothing  of  our  feelings  in  the  matter 
as  guardians  of  Anna,  who  is  too  young  to  know  what 
she  is  about." 

"  I  don't  think  so,"  said  he,  disconsolately.  "  Anna 
says  she  won't  marry  me,  because  I  can't  earn  my  own 
living.  She  says  my  father  might  lose  all  he  has  on  Wall 
Street  in  a  day,  and  then  where  would  I  be?  But  I  am 
willing  to  let  her  keep  her  own  name,  and  stay  Canadian, 
and  go  to  the  Henry  George  meetings  and  believe  in 
Single  Tax  myself  —  I  agree  to  everything.  And  I  can 
lift  her  just  as  easy,  all  I  need  is  the  river  to  carry  her 
across!  The  only  thing  that  stands  in  the  way  is  that 
she  says  I  must  earn  my  own  living.  You  are  so  clever, 
Diantha!"  He  said  pathetically,  "Can't  you  tell  me 
what  I  could  do  ?  " 

Diantha  felt  sorry  for  him  in  a  way,  but  it  was  not 
then  the  hour  in  which  to  begin  the  undertaking  of  so 
serious  a  problem  as  that. 

"  Oh,  you  are  strong  enough,"  she  said  significantly, 
"  strong  enough  to  lift  a  horse,  if  you  want  to ;  you 
could  pitch  hay  for  a  living  or  you  could  be  a  baggage- 
smasher,  the  same  as  any  other  man,  but  I  am  afraid 


262  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

you  are  too  lazy.  That's  all  that's  the  matter  with  you, 
John." 

She  suggested  that  he  had  better  consult  his  father 
on  the  subject,  and  persuaded  him  to  go  into  the  front 
hall.  As  he  stuck  there  helplessly,  Diantha  briskly  took 
his  arm  and  marched  him  to  the  door,  picked  up  his  hat 
from  the  floor,  hung  it  on  his  head  somehow,  opened 
the  door,  gave  him  a  gentle  shove  on  his  back,  closed 
the  door  behind  him  and  locked  it  promptly. 

"  I  always  said  he  was  a  baby,"  she  declared  to  Anna, 
in  her  indignation,  "  and  now  I  know  he  is  a  booby." 

Almost  weeping  the  girl  denied  that  he  was  less  a  man 
than  Caspar.  And  then  Diantha  expressed  her  surprise 
that  a  young  thing  like  her,  who  had  come  down  from 
Ontario  to  study  domestic  science,  should  have  dared  to 
go  out  there  and  sit  on  the  coal-box  with  a  young  man 
in  the  dark. 

"  Well!  who  sat  there  first  with  a  young  man  in  the 
dark,"  returned  Anna,  brokenly,  "  who  was  it  that  found 
out  what  the  coal-box  was  for  ?  " 

Diantha  patted  her  on  the  shoulder  and  told  her  she 
was  really  very  proud  of  her  for  being  so  wise  and  pru- 
dent, and  bade  her  not  cry  any  more. 

In  the  front  room  amid  the  making  up  of  couches, 
Gene  Lenore  was  saying  how  odd  it  was  that  they  were 
to  meet  the  Quincys  again  so  soon.  As  she  shook  out 
her  dark  tresses,  she  said  she  thought  it  might  be  a  good 
idea  to  make  up  to  Col.  Quincy  if  no  one  else  came  along 
that  was  as  wealthy. 

"  He  wouldn't  be  so  hard  to  take,"  she  said,  "  just  see 


JOHN  QUINCY  BECOMES  ELEMENTAL          263 

how  finely  Miss  Quincy  is  decked  out,  easy  time  and 
jewels  to  wear  and  real  lace." 

"  Oh,  my ! "  exclaimed  Seddie,  scornfully,  "  any 
woman  who  married  that  man  would  have  her  cross  to 
bear ;  he  looks  bored  with  everything." 

"  Well,  I  shouldn't  care,"  said  Gene,  with  a  shrug, 
"  so  long  as  it  took  the  form  of  a  cross  of  diamonds 
like  Miss  Quincy's." 

Coming  into  the  room  in  her  white  gown,  Diantha 
caught  the  gist  of  the  conversation.  She  stood  like  an 
offended  goddess.  "  That  man ! "  she  exclaimed,  "  I 
simply  hate  that  man !  " 

The  girls  demanded  to  know  why,  and  she  declared 
him  to  be  everything  that  was  detestable  in  human  form. 
"  Why,"  she  announced  sweepingly,  "  he  has  a  bad  in- 
fluence on  his  friends,  I  just  know  it;  and  as  for  his 
being  a  parent,  look  at  poor  John  how  he  has  ruined 
him.  Why,  he  is  no  more  fit  to  be  a  father  —  than  if  he 
were  a  crocodile." 

The  girls  laughed,  but  Gene  pretended  not  to  hear. 
She  settled  herself  on  her  couch  and  referred  to  the  talk 
of  the  afternoon  when  they  all  were  indulging  in  the 
"  blues  "  over  the  troubles  threatening,  before  Diantha 
appeared  and  swept  them  all  away.  "  What  was  that 
you  were  saying,  to-day,  Colleen,  about  us  all  coming 
here  to  New  York,  one  for  fame,  one  for  art,  another 
for  adventure,  and  all  for  fortune;  and  how  after  all, 
marriage  was  the  best  thing  for  any  of  us." 

Colleen  slightly  blushed.  "  I  didn't  quite  say  it  that 
way,  Gene,"  she  demurred. 


264  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

"  Well,"  returned  Gene,  "  we  decided  that  of  all  the 
girls  we  knew  here,  that  Marchie  was  the  greatest 
success.  And  that  that  was  because  she  had  such  a  good 
instinct  for  business,  because  she  was  economical,  and 
because  she  had  such  perfect  health.  And  then  on  top 
of  all  that,  you  said,  '  And  even  Diantha  is  going  to  be 
married!'" 

"  Yes,"  drawled  Seddie,  wearily,  drawing  the  sheet 
up  to  her  chin,  "  when  is  it  going  to  be,  Marchie  ?  and 
what  sort  of  presents  do  you  expect?" 

"  I  don't  know,"  she  murmured  as  one  in  a  half- 
dream. 

"  Well,  if  you  and  Caspar  are  going  to  '  hit  it  off/ 
Marchie,"  said  Seddie,  disconsolately,  "  I  hope  you  won't 
go  on  keeping  people  up  at  night  the  way  you  do  now." 
And  she  turned  over  and  pretended  to  be  asleep. 

Diantha  vanished. 

"  Heaven  save  us  from  any  more  of  the  pests,"  cried 
Seddie  in  scorn. 

"  To  think  of  that  old  coal-box  becoming  the  shrine 
of  love,"  murmured  Colleen,  "  I  wonder  who  will  be 
the  next  one  ?  " 

"  By  the  way,"  asked  Gene,  who  was  still  alert  in 
spite  of  the  hour,  "  what  is  that  verse  of  Mrs.  Brown- 
ing's that  tells  how  the  girl  is  waiting  for  her  lover  to 
appear  on  a  roan  steed,  and  all  the  things  she  will  do 
when  he  arrives?  Do  you  remember  what  it  is  she  is 
going  to  show  him  ?  " 

"'And  to  him  I  will  discover 
The  swan's  nest  in  the  reeds/" 

quoted  Seddie,  sleepily. 


JOH'N  QUINCY  BECOMES  ELEMENTAL        265 

"  Well,'*  responded  Gene,  "  if  Mrs.  Browning  had  lived 
in  our  flat  here  in  New  York,  she  would  have  said  in- 
stead, 

"'The  coal-box  in  the  hall.'" 

At  this  sally  of  Gene's  a  joyous  peal  of  laughter  broke 
forth  irresistibly.  But  to  little  Anna,  the  theme  was  a 
tragic  one;  for  so  she  had  found  it,  a  place  of  parting 
with  her  sweetheart  whom  she  might  never  see  again. 
She  had  been  sensible  and  wise,  but  she  was  very  un- 
happy. She  could  feel  that  her  heart  was  breaking,  and 
her  pillow  was  wet  with  tears  while  they  laughed  so 
elfishly. 

"  What  a  happy  end  to  a  dismal  day,"  softly  spoke 
Showery  from  her  alcove.  "  How  much  we  have  to  be 
thankful  for,  girls." 

"  Yes,  indeed,"  said  Colleen,  "  Mr.  Everton  has  given 
us  a  happy  day  in  our  checkered  existence,"  and  she  put 
out  the  light. 


CHAPTER  XXXVI 

DIANTHA   TAKES    CASPAR   TO    CONEY   ISLAND 

A  S  they  sat  on  the  excursion-boat  bound  for  that 
•*  *•  haven  of  delight  known  as  Coney  Island,  Caspar 
explained  to  Diantha  how  grateful  he  felt  to  Everton 
for  his  faith  in  him.  "  It  was  considerable  of  a  risk  for 
him  to  undertake  to  fetch  a  fellow  like  me  all  the  way 
from  Boulder  here.  For  how  did  he  know  whether  I 
would  '  make  good/  as  your  friend  Howard  says  or  not  ?  " 

Diantha  seemed  a  little  uncomfortable.  "  He  is  used 
to  taking  risks,"  she  murmured. 

"  I  should  think  so,"  he  said,  laughingly,  "  or  he 
wouldn't  have  bet  on  me  as  he  did." 

"  Bet  on  you  ?  "  she  repeated  vaguely  alarmed. 

"  Oh,  yes,  all  that  business  of  your  friend  Howard's, 
trying  to  put  me  through  the  *  sprouts/  as  it  were,  was 
part  of  the  bet,  he  told  me  he  was  trying  to  make  me 
'  squeal/  and  after  that  performance  over  my  straw  hat 
he  confessed  that  he  had  lost  and  that  Mr.  Everton  had 
won." 

She  sat  looking  at  him  in  bewilderment.  Was  it  pos- 
sible that  that  was  the  way  Everton  had  proceeded  in 
pursuance  of  his  bet  with  her?  Was  that  what  he  had 
done  to  discover  whether  Caspar  were  all  she  believed 
him  ?  "  He  must  be  a  real  man,  not  a  softy.  Innocent 

266 


DIANTHA  TAKES  CASPAR  TO  CONEY  ISLAND      267 

and  unsullied  by  the  world,  free  from  vices,  yes,  but  a 
man  with  fists." 

Caspar  was  looking  at  the  beautiful  craft  plying  about 
on  the  bay,  but  she  saw  nothing.  "  Yes,  it  was  a  great 
risk,"  said  Caspar,  returning  to  Diantha.  "  That  is  Mr. 
Everton's  business,"  she  said  alertly.  "  That  is  his  life, 
his  pleasure,  his  food  and  drink;  his  passion  is  risk  and 
hazard—" 

"  How  do  you  know  ?  "  Caspar  seemed  startled  by  her 
vehemence. 

The  sunlight  was  bringing  out  all  the  copper  tints 
in  her  hair,  and  in  her  eyes  was  a  suppressed  resentment. 
"  How  do  I  know?  "  she  repeated,  "  Is  he  not  a  success- 
ful New  Yorker  ?  Why  else  should  he  have  bet  on  your 
endurance  that  way  ?  I  think  it  is  outrageous !  " 

"  Well,"  said  Caspar,  slowly,  "  going  to  a  new  city  is 
pretty  much  like  going  to  a  new  school,  you  have  got  to 
prove  yourself !  " 

"  I  can't  make  you  out,  Caspar,"  said  she,  with  indig- 
nation, "  Do  you  think  it  was  nice  of  Mr.  Everton  to 
risk  his  money  on  you  in  trying  to  make  you  '  squeal,'  as 
you  men  call  it?  " 

When  Caspar  was  loyal  to  any  one,  he  was  loyal  all 
through  without  reservation,  faithful  to  the  death.  He 
could  not  tolerate  that  Diantha  should  cast  any  slur  upon 
the  brave  gentleman  who  had  become  his  friend,  who 
had  given  him  the  opportunity  of  his  life.  He  gave  her 
a  glance  of  disapproval  and  told  her  she  was  the  last  one 
in  the  world  who  ought  to  find  fault  with  his  taking  a 
risk.  "If  he  hadn't  been  the  kind  of  a  man  he  is,"  he 


268  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

demanded  of  her,  ('  should  we  be  sitting  here,  together, 
on  this  boat,  to-day  ?  Just  remember  that !  " 

A  sudden  throb  of  fright  overcame  her.  "  What  do 
you  mean  ?  "  she  asked,  faintly. 

"  Why,  what  should  I  mean  but  the  day  on  the 
mountain,"  replied  Caspar.  "  If  he  hadn't  been  willing 
to  take  the  risk  where  would  you  be  now?  Haven't  I 
got  him  to  thank  for  that  even  if  there  wasn't  any  thing 
else? ". 

More  and  more  puzzled  every  moment,  Diantha  simply 
sat  and  waited,  hoping  some  chance  word  from  Caspar 
would  clear  up  the  mystery,  without  her  revealing  her 
ignorance  of  some  apparently  important  thing  which  she 
was  supposed  to  know  all  about.  .She  harked  back  to 
that  day,  what  had  happened  that  was  at  all  risky? 
Something  came  to  her  vaguely  from  an  almost  forgotten 
corner  of  memory. 

"  Oh,  you  mean  when  I  ran  down  hill  toward  that 
jumping-off  place,"  she  suggested. 

"  Yes,  and  when  Mr.  Everton  pitched  that  rock  so  it 
would  get  there  first,  I  tell  you  I  couldn't  have  done  it ; 
I  couldn't  have  taken  the  chance  that  it  wouldn't  have 
rolled  near  you  instead !  "  Caspar  seemed  roused  to  his 
deepest  admiration  at  the  memory  of  the  deed. 

She  sat  there  dazed,  and  filled  with  wonder  at  her 
own  stupidity  in  not  having  guessed  this  at  the  time. 

"  It  was  the  most  foolish  thing  I  ever  saw,"  continued 
Caspar,  "  the  way  you  dashed  down  to  destruction,  and 
wouldn't  pay  attention  when  he  called  to  you  to  come 
back;  it  simply  makes  me  angry  every  time  I  think  of 
it." 


DIANTHA  TAKES  CASPAR  TO  CONEY  ISLAND      269 

"  Suppose  you  don't  scold  me  for  it,  now,"  said 
Diantha,  with  a  faint  smile,  "  I'd  rather  think  of  some- 
thing else." 

The  wind  was  blowing  Caspar's  unruly  locks  about, 
and  the  freshness  of  the  breeze  restored  him  to  good 
humor.  "  All  right,"  said  he,  "  but  don't  you  be  trying 
to  pick  flaws  in  Mr.  Everton.  I  don't  mind  his  betting 
on  me  at  all,  and  I  consider  him  a  brave  gentleman." 

Then  the  beautiful  scene  before  him  occupied  his  mind 
absolutely,  so  that  he  was  unaware  of  the  thousand 
emotions  running  riot  in  Diantha's  heart  and  mind  and 
soul.  She  gave  over  finding  fault  as  to  his  treatment  of 
Caspar,  under  the  circumstances,  but  in  answer  to  some 
strange  undercurrent  of  her  inner  sub-consciousness, 
she  said  to  herself,  "  But  Caspar  with  all  his  faults  is 
innocent,  and  Stanley  with  all  his  perfections,  is  not." 

There  seemed  a  finality  in  the  thought  which  brought 
peace  to  her. 


CHAPTER  XXXVII 

THEY   MEET  A   COMPANION   TO  DOLPHINS 

WHEN  they  had  reached  the  other  shore  Diantha 
resolutely  put  from  her  all  thought  of  that  new 
obligation  she  owed  to  Mr.  Everton,  which  had  thus  so 
accidentally  been  revealed  to  her.  Why  should  she  be 
pursued  by  any  more  distracting  thoughts  of  Mr.  Ever- 
ton, when  it  was  Caspar  she  was  going  to  marry;  when 
her  role  at  present  was  beset  with  difficulties  enough 
trying  to  please  him  by  concealing  the  truth  from  him 
until  the  propitious  moment  should  arrive  when  it  would 
be  safe  to  break  it  to  him  gently  ? 

It  would  require  all  the  cleverness  possible  to  manage 
the  matter  adroitly.  She  was  reminded  of  a  quotation 
from  a  Japanese  play  she  had  seen, — "  It  is  better  to 
lie  a  little  than  to  suffer  much."  But  to  tell  a  lie  so 
stupidly  that  one  is  found  out  before  the  matter  can  be 
set  right,  would  be  suffering  unspeakable,  she  thought  to 
herself  —  a  lie  was  such  a  contemptible  thing,  the  refuge 
of  a  coward.  She  could  afford  no  distractions  whatever, 
until  this  difficulty  had  been  smoothed  away.  Maybe  she 
could  broach  it  that  very  afternoon. 

Under  the  spell  of  the  freshening  breeze,  the  lapping 
water  at  their  feet,  the  joyous  crowds  like  children  at 
play,  maybe  he  would  be  less  severe  and  implacable,  and 

270 


THEY  MEET  A  COMPANION  TO  DOLPHINS       271 

she  could  venture  to  tell  him  the  truth,  confess  that  she 
had  deceived  him,  and  win  his  forgiveness. 

They  were  threading  their  way  through  the  mazes  of  a 
little  world  very  noisy  and  very  peculiar  in  its  features. 
From  the  near  distance  behind  the  flaps  of  a  tent,  came 
the  fascinating  tattoo  of  an  Oriental  drum  with  a  weird 
piping  accompaniment. 

Fortune-tellers  of  not  beautiful  aspect,  but  rather 
tawdry  and  hard  of  countenance,  entreated  them  to  hear 
what  the  future  held  in  store.  A  dried  mummy  of  the 
Toltecs  sat  outside  one  tent,  a  brown  lock  of  her  hair 
waving  in  the  wind,  and  she,  herself,  swaying  mourn- 
fully as  if  saying  to  them,  "  Like  you,  I,  too,  was  once 
young  and  beloved." 

Outside  the  gay  pavilions  stood  the  dancers  in  daring 
negligee  and  bold  relief  to  show  what  manner  of  being 
held  forth  within. 

Diantha  noticed  a  look  of  annoyance  on  Caspar's  face 
and  hurried  him  on  to  the  seashore,  where  hundreds  of 
men,  women  and  children  disported  themselves  in  noisy 
glee. 

They  watched  them  for  a  few  moments  and  then 
Caspar  entreated  that  they  escape  from  all  the  riot. 

"  Can  you  swim,  Caspar  ?  "  asked  she.  "  I  thought 
maybe  you  might  like  to  get  into  the  sea,  just  for  the 
sensation  of  it." 

"  What  ?  Would  you  go  in  there  with  all  those  rowdy 
people  ?  And  with  me  ? "  He  seemed  to  be  astounded 
at  the  proposition. 

"  Why,  of  course,  I  can  swim  as  well  as  a  man." 


272  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

"But,  out  here  in  the  face  of  everybody?"  he  still 
demanded. 

"  Much  better  in  the  face  of  everybody  than  alone," 
she  replied  with  dignity. 

"  Well  of  all  — "  and  he  stopped  as  if  words  failed 
him. 

"  But  what  is  the  matter,  Caspar  ?  "  she  asked,  vaguely 
troubled.  "  Surely  you  know  there  is  no  harm  in  going 
in  bathing  at  the  seaside?  Surely  you  have  seen  pic- 
tures in  the  papers,  of  the  highest  society  women  who 
bathe  everyday  in  the  sea  with  their  men  friends  ?  " 

His  face  grew  set.  "  I  have  seen  the  pictures,  of 
course,  and  in  the  midst  of  them  the  impossible  poster- 
girls  with  curly-cues  like  snakes  wound  around  them, 
and  pictures  of  young  ladies  with  their  skirts  twirling 
above  their  heads,  but  I  took  them  all  as  jokes,  as 
artist's  pipe-dreams,  as  you  call  things,  here,  that  never 
happen!  I  never  thought  nice  girls  did  any  of  those 
things." 

A  high  wave  came  rolling  in  just  then  from  the  far 
away  caves  of  old  Ocean,  causing  a  great  commotion  to 
those  on  the  shore.  It  made  the  bystanders  draw  back 
from  its  encroaching  edge,  and  caused  a  flurry  among 
the  women  and  children  who  were  enjoying  the  delights 
of  wading.  But  above  every  other  sound  was  that  of  a 
shrill  scream  that  pierced  the  air,  followed  by  a  sudden 
burst  of  soulless  laughter. 

All  eyes  were  centered  on  this  spot  where  was  a  sort 
of  hurly-burly  in  the  water,  where  a  wave  had  swept 
over  a  pair  of  swimmers  taking  them  by  surprise.  The 
man  had  a  long  black  mustache  and  was  evidently  a 


THEY  MEET  A  COMPANION  TO  DOLPHINS        273 

foreigner.  The  woman  was  slender  and  golden-haired, 
with  her  locks  hanging  long  and  wet  all  about  her  face. 
Her  bathing  suit  was  of  striped  yellow  and  black,  made 
very  scant,  revealing  her  neck  and  arms  and  legs  shining 
white. 

As  the  wave  receded,  she  was  seen  hanging  on  to  the 
arm  of  the  man  almost  weakly.  Then  she  regained  her 
bravado,  and  seizing  his  hand  and  pulling  him  after  her, 
she  came  running  in  to  land,  laughing  and  giving  way 
to  her  abandon,  as  if  the  whole  shore  were  hers,  and  the 
sea  meant  for  her  playground. 

With  wet  locks  flying,  with  bared  feet  dancing  and 
body  weaving  gleefully  as  if  her  spirits  were  too  high  to 
be  contained,  she  seemed  to  Caspar  the  very  being  to  be 
modeled  as  companion  to  dolphins  drawing  the  triumphal 
car  of  Neptune.  He  gazed  upon  her  with  wonder  and 
bewilderment. 

She  passed  so  near  to  him  that  the  fling  of  her  skirt 
bespattered  him  with  the  sea  she  brought  with  her.  She 
saw  he  was  a  handsome  fellow,  with  his  gaze  fixed  on 
her,  and  she  gave  him  in  response  —  a  laughing  glance, 
and  made  up  a  little  mouth  at  him  as  a  saucy  child  might 
have  done. 

But  the  stern-set  face  that  resulted,  bent  upon  her  in 
stern  disapproval,  caused  the  laughter  in  her  to  congeal 
in  its  source  and  anger  to  spring  forth  instead.  She 
threw  back  the  hair  from  her  face  the  better  to  get  a 
good  look  at  this  male  paragon  who  dared  to  disapprove 
of  her,  and  then  she  saw  the  girl  standing  by  his  side, 
sedate,  neat  and  full  of  reserve  power. 

For  a  brief  second  the  eyes  of  Ray  and  Diantha  met. 


274  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

It  was  all  as  sudden  as  a  "  zigzag  flash,"  as  Diantha 
afterwards  expressed  it  to  her  girl  friends. 

There  was  a  contraction  of  the  features,  dominated 
by  a  spirit  of  revenge.  A  demoniac  grin  appeared. 

With  a  toss  of  the  head,  she  cried  familiarly,  "  Hello, 
Diantha !  Got  a  beau,  have  you  ?  Well,  better  late  than 
never,  I  suppose ! "  Then  her  mood  changed  and  her 
brow  darkened,  "  You  think  you  are  going  to  be  so  happy, 
don't  you?  "  she  mocked  and  finished  with  a  jibe. 

Then  she  laughed,  and  went  her  dancing  way,  content 
with  herself  and  her  revenge,  and  her  swarthy  com- 
panion added  his  coarse  tones  to  hers. 

Silently  the  two  thus  addressed  turned  and  walked 
away  from  the  orgiastic  crowd,  over  the  sands,  slowly, 
to  where  the  black  bobbing  heads  in  the  surf,  and  the 
people  on  the  shore  became  less  and  less  in  number  as  on 
they  went. 

"  There  are  a  great  many  things  I  can't  pretend  to 
understand,"  said  Caspar,  at  last,  as  he  waited  for  her 
to  speak. 

Diantha's  proud  head  was  bent  toward  the  sands, 
like  a  rose  hanging  heavily  upon  its  stem.  She  could  say 
nothing. 

Caspar  had  a  habit  of  asking  questions,  however,  that 
went  to  the  point,  when  his  curiosity  was  aroused. 
"  Who  was  that  sea-woman  ?  "  he  inquired.  "  And  how 
does  she  come  to  know  you  ?  " 

"  She  was  a  nice  girl  once,"  answered  Diantha  in  low 
tones,  hardly  audibler  "  and  that  was  when  she  came  to 
stay  with  us  in  Pleiades  Court!  And  then — " 


THEY  MEET  A  COMPANION  TO  DOLPHINS       275 

"  Yes,  tell  me  how  she  became  a  sea-woman  ?  "  urged 
Caspar.  "I  —  should  like  to  know." 

"  Oh,  I  don't  know  exactly,"  said  Diantha,  brokenly, 
"  she  got  to  going  with  a  gay  crowd  that  drank,  found 
out  she  was  pretty,  was  persuaded  to  become  a  model  for 
artists  —  We  don't  know  her  at  all,"  she  said  insistently 
— •"  except  as  the  '  Lost  Pleiad.'  " 

"  How  terrible ! "  was  his  response,  as  if  by  that  ex- 
clamation, he  would  dismiss  the  subject.  But  he  had 
not  finished  with  his  questions  on  other  matters  which 
he  pursued  in  an  almost  fatherly  sort  of  way. 

"And  now,  my  dear,  I  want  you  to  explain  to  me 
how  it  is  that  nice  girls  can  go  into  the  sea  with  their 
gentlemen  friends  and  not  be  abashed."  He  was  try- 
ing to  understand,  and  yet  relieve  her  of  her  embarrass- 
ment, because  he  saw  how  crushed  she  was  under  the 
blow  she  had  just  received  from  her  encounter  with 
what  he  called  "  the  sea-woman." 

"  I  don't  know ;  just  get  used  to  it,  I  imagine ! "  she 
managed  to  say,  with  gaps  between,  but  in  her  mortifi- 
cation the  tears  were  rolling  down  her  cheeks. 

"  I  am  not  used  to  it,  then,"  he  said  gently,  "  and  I 
am  quite  sure  it  will  take  me  some  time  to  do  so,  for  of 
course  I  am  old-fashioned.  But,  tell  me,  did  you  have  to 
get  used  to  it,  too  ?  " 

He  seemed  as  curious  as  if  he  were  studying  a  new 
kind  of  being. 

"  Oh,  yes,"  she  replied,  trying  to  cover  up  her  feelings 
and  glad  of  almost  any  subject  which  would  enable  her 
to  think  of  something  else  than  those  hateful  words 


276  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

that  were  still  ringing  in  her  memory.  "  I  altogether 
forgot  how  shocked  at  it  I  was  at  first  when  I  came  or 
I  should  not  have  brought  you  here." 

"  And  the  roof-garden  ? "  he  continued,  "  I  am  only 
asking  for  information.  In  time  I  may  grow  to  enjoy 
that  sort  of  recreation,  but  at  present,  I  do  not  see  how 
it  ever  entered  into  the  heart  of  man  to  conceive  such 
a  means  of  amusement.  For  nearly  every  number  that 
was  presented  to  us  last  night  was  as  if  an  insult  had 
been  offered  me.  I  will  except  the  antics  and  jokes  of 
the  Irishman  and  the  Dutchman  as  that  was  merely 
rough  horseplay.  But  the  vulgarities;  tell  me,  dear, 
how  do  they  affect  you?  Do  you  really  enjoy  them?" 

He  still  was  puzzled  and  trying  to  comprehend. 

Lower  bent  the  proud  head,  and  the  tears  of  mortifica- 
tion were  still  falling. 

"  Just  —  got  —  used  —  to  it,"  she  murmured. 

Then  there  was  a  long  silence  again.  On  they  walked 
through  the  sand.  At  last  Caspar  took  pity  and  changed 
the  subject. 

"  Last  night  I  admit  I  was  disconcerted  to  see  how 
easy  it  was  for  you  all  to  lend  yourselves  to  a  deception 
with  one  of  your  number  masquerading  with  gray  hair. 
I  was  unhappy  over  it  at  first,  but  I  did  not  want  to 
be  a  wet  blanket,  you  know,  and  I  tried  to  assure  my- 
self that,  after  all,  no  principle  was  involved.  And  then 
when  I  saw  that  John  was  ashamed  to  greet  his  folks 
in  our  company,  I  was  greatly  distressed.  However,  I 
saw  you  were  equal  to  the  difficulty.  And  when  I  saw 
the  noble  use  you  made  of  your  deception  and  how  clev- 
erly you  met  the  difficulty,  and  won  them  over,  so  that 


THEY  MEET  A  COMPANION  TO  DOLPHINS        277 

they  not  only  knew  we  were  all  right,  but  actually  came 
and  sat  with  us  and  became  friendly  for  the  time  be- 
ing, I  decided  that  you  knew  better  than  I  do,  how  to 
get  along  in  the  city.  Indeed,  it  was  masterly,  as  fine  in 
its  way,  from  a  woman's  point  of  view,  and  woman's 
need  of  strategy,  as  any  splendid  action  on  the  part  of  a 
general,  and  I  was  proud  of  you.5* 

He  was  glancing  at  her  now  with  his  rainbow-smile  of 
full  radiance. 

Diantha's  proud  head  gradually  was  lifting  like  a  rose 
on  its  stem,  after  a  refreshing  shower. 

"  Go  on,  Caspar,"  she  said,  brokenly. 

She  could  not  yet  meet  his  eye,  however.  She  felt 
abashed  in  his  presence. 

"  There  is  no  doubt,"  he  continued,  "  that  you  are 
much  cleverer  than  I  am,  and  I  have  been  thinking  about 
that  day  on  the  mountain  —  do  you  remember  ?  " 

"  Do  I  remember  ?  "  she  laughed  gleefully.  "  It  was 
when  we  two  stood  on  the  apex  of  the  world,  just  we 
two  in  all  the  world,  and  it  lay  at  our  feet  and  belonged 
to  us.  There  were  the  glories  of  nature  all  ours  to  hold 
and  keep  forever." 

She  looked  him  bravely  in  the  eyes,  and  they  walked  on 
thus,  transported  to  that  far-away  realm  and  thus  ex- 
alted by  the  enchantment  of  that  memory. 

"  It  was  a  wonderful  day." 

"  Yes,  and  I  promised  myself  never  to  be  petty  again, 
never  to  be  irritated  by  things  infinitely  small,  but  to 
keep  myself  on  a  more  exalted  plane,  and  be  gentle  and 
patient  and  not  to  give  way  to  my  temper." 

There  was  a  rapt  look  on  Caspar's  face. 


278  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

"  O  Diantha;'  he  said,  "  did  you  feel  like  that?  That 
was  what  I  was  thinking,  too." 

"  I  couldn't  keep  it  up,  though/'  she  explained,  "  for 
when  I  found  the  safe  was  robbed  it  made  me  forget 
everything  else." 

"  And  when  that  beast  spoke  of  you  lightly,  I  couldn't 
keep  it  up  either,"  said  Caspar,  contritely. 

"  Oh,  you've  got  to  have  a  little  red  earth  in  you  to 
get  through  this  miserable  world,"  said  she  practically. 
"  Some  clever  man  observes  that  if  we  did  not  destroy 
them,  that  we  should  be  devoured  by  the  animals  and 
insects." 

Caspar's  brow  grew  dark  as  he  remembered  that  night 
of  the  safe-robbery. 

"  And  among  our  fellow-men  there  is  a  breed  similar 
in  kind  to  reptiles  and  vermin,"  he  added,  "  and  if  we  did 
not  protect  ourselves  from  them  we  should  be  fools." 

"If  we  could  live  forever  up  on  our  mountain  top, 
Caspar,"  said  she  giving  him  a  bright  glance,  "  it  would 
be  delightful.  But  maybe  it  might  become  monotonous, 
who  knows  ?  " 

"  Not  I,"  said  he  taking  her  hand  and  drawing  it  within 
his  arm.  "  But  I  don't  believe  we  should  find  any  spot 
on  earth  monotonous." 

They  went  along  by  the  seashore  still  being  attended 
by  those  heads  of  strong  men-swimmers  bobbing  in  the 
edge  of  the  sea.  The  sand  was  becoming  deeper,  and 
there  was  an  open  space  before  them  where  the  waters 
had  cut  into  the  land.  In  the  distance,  near  this  place, 
loomed  a  structure,  with  flags  flying. 

"Oh,  that  is   Brighton,"   exclaimed  Diantha,   "why 


THEY  MEET  A  COMPANION  TO  DOLPHINS        279 

we  could  return  home  that  way,  crossing  over  Brooklyn 
Bridge.  Would  you  like  that?  " 

He  agreed  it  would  be  fine,  and  so  they  kept  on. 

At  last  the  sea  was  clear  of  human-animals,  and  also 
the  shore  and  they  decided  to  rest  a  moment  on  the  sand. 


CHAPTER  XXXVIII 

THE   CODE  OF   HONOR   OF   RIGHT-THINKING   MEN 

A  S  she  sifted  the  dry  sand  through  her  hands,  Diantha 
wondered  vaguely  whether  she  dared  venture  upon 
her  confession  to  Caspar.  He  seemed  not  at  all  "  icy, 
determined  nor  implacable "  at  this  moment,  but  she 
knew  she  must  feel  her  way  first,  approach  it  gradually 
with  a  chance  to  retreat  at  a  second's  warning. 

Something  came  into  her  mind,  suddenly,  as  a  good 
beginning  for  breaking  the  ice. 

"  Do  you  know  anything  about  John  Quincy,  Caspar  ?  " 
she  began.  "  You  see  you  are  coming  into  the  family, 
so  you  must  help  us  on  these  serious  decisions.  He  has 
gotten  into  his  handsome  head  that  he  wants  to  marry 
Anna  Murray.  Now  from  what  you  know  of  him,  do 
you  think  he  is  nice  ?  " 

"  He  is  rather  lazy,"  suggested  Caspar. 

"  Oh,  we  all  know  that !  It  isn't  his  fault,  poor  fel- 
low, it's  the  way  he  was  brought  up.  He  wants  to  go 
to  work  because  Anna  told  him  his  father  might  lose 
every  dollar  he  has,  on  Wall  Street,  any  day,  and  then 
where  would  he  be  ?  "  and  she  laughed  wickedly. 

"  Which  one  is  Anna  Murray  ? "  asked  Caspar,  in- 
terested. "  She  must  be  a  sensible  girl." 

"  Oh,  she's  the  youngest  of  us  all,  with  fair  hair  and 
very  dark  blue  eyes.  She  had  on  a  blue  chiffon  hat, 

280 


THE  CODE  OF  HONOR  281 

last  night,"  but  Diantha  had  to  find  some  other  way  to 
bring  her  to  his  man's  mind.  "  Oh,  yes,  she  sat  next 
to  you  at  the  table." 

"  Oh,  yes,  I  know,  the  one  with  the  dimples  in  her 
cheeks,"  said  he,  showing  some  intelligence  at  last. 

Diantha  looked  at  him  curiously.  "Dimples?"  she 
echoed.  "  I  am  sometimes  led  to  suspect  that  you  men 
are  all  alike,  after  all." 

"  I  hope  we  are,"  said  he,  simply.  "  I  don't  know 
chiffon  from  bombazine,  but  I  do  know  the  structure  of 
the  human  face." 

"  Bombazine !  "  she  repeated,  and  a  touch  of  suspicion 
came  into  her  eyes.  "  Sometimes,  I  almost  think  — "  but 
she  broke  off  suddenly  and  returned  to  her  original  ques- 
tion. "  What  I  want  of  you,  Caspar,  is  for  you  to  give 
me  your  man's  opinion  of  John,  as  a  man  that  a  girl 
might  marry.  I  repeat,  is  he  nice  ? " 

Caspar  looked  at  her  in  some  surprise.  "  Nice  ?  "  he 
repeated,  "  why,  yes,  or  none  of  us  would  be  associating 
with  him." 

Diantha  looked  out  to  the  vast  sea  beyond.  "  Yes," 
she  tried  to  say  indifferently,  "  but,  I  mean  morals." 

Caspar  seemed  relieved.  "  Oh,  as  to  that,  John 
wouldn't  do  anything  dishonorable,  I  am  quite  sure  of 
that,"  he  assured  her.  "  If  anything  he  is  the  one  who 
would  get  the  worst  of  it  in  any  kind  of  business." 

"  Business,"  she  echoed,  somewhat  taken  by  surprise. 
"  I  don't  mean  business,  I  mean  morals." 

"  With  men,  business  is  morals,"  he  answered,  "  a 
thief,  a  liar,  a  swindler,  a  briber,  a  betrayer  of  trust — " 


282  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

"  Yes,"  she  interrupted,  "  that  is  what  I  mean  more 
particularly." 

"  I  would  trust  him,"  said  Caspar,  dropping  the  sand 
from  his  hands,  and  looking  at  her  slightly  puzzled.  "  T 
don't  think  he  is  very  bright  about  business,  and  that  he 
would  be  easily  imposed  on,  but  as  for  his  betraying 
anybody,  I  believe  him  incapable  of  it.  I  don't  see  what 
put  such  an  idea  into  your  head." 

Diantha  gave  him  a  close  scrutiny. 

"  Caspar,  are  you  hopelessly  innocent,  or  are  you  just 
pretending?  Sometimes  I  almost  think  I  don't  know 
you  at  all,"  she  exclaimed.  "You  were  born  into  the 
same  world  that  I  was  —  the  same  terrible  facts  of  life 
must  have  confronted  you  that  have  confronted  me. 
Anna  is  here  alone  in  New  York  City.  I  have  to  be  a 
mother  to  her,  and  I  ask  you  in  all  sincerity,  if  John 
Quincy,  in  your  opinion,  is  the  kind  of  man  that  it  would 
be  safe  for  a  girl  to  marry  ?  " 

She  was  almost  vexed  with  him  for  making  her  speak 
so  plainly. 

"  Why,  yes,  I  think  so." 

"  Would  you  be  willing  for  your  sister  to  marry  him  ?  " 
If  it  was  his  loyalty  to  John  that  made  him  so  reticent, 
she  felt  sure  this  view  of  the  matter  would  appeal  to  him. 

Caspar  hesitated.  "If  she  liked  him,  but  you  see 
Mary  is  very  exacting.  I  don't  think  she  would  marry 
anyone  who  touched  liquor  or  tobacco  or  played  cards, 
you  see,  she  is  very  prim." 

"  That  is  exactly  what  I  am  trying  to  get  at,"  said 
she,  with  dignity. 

"  Very  few  girls  would  be  married  in  this  world,"  he 


THE  CODE  OF  HONOR  283 

said  smiling,  "  if  they  all  were  as  prim  as  that.  You 
know  you  have  to  take  men  as  you  find  them." 

Diantha  seemed  unconvinced,  or  else  she  was  mysti- 
fied by  this  speech,  she  could  not  tell  which  it  was.  But 
she  knew  she  did  not  agree  with  him,  and  rushed  into 
an  impulsive  defense  of  her  pet  opinion  on  that  subject. 

"  We  bachelor-girls  have  ideas  of  our  own  about  the 
men  we  intend  to  marry,"  she  said  promptly.  "  We 
think  marriage  a  very  serious  thing  and  that  men  ought 
to  keep  themselves  pure  and  noble  if  they  expect  to  win 
us.  And  when  I  ask  you  about  John  being  the  right 
kind  of  a  man,  I  want  you  to  tell  me  if  you  think  he 
is  moral  from  the  pure  and  noble  point  of  view." 

She  knew  then  that  she  had  said  it,  and  she  carried 
herself  severely. 

Caspar  hesitated  again.  "  I  will  be  frank  with  you," 
he  said,  as  if  he  feared  venturing  on  the  dangerous 
ground  for  her  sake  —  not  his  own.  "  John  is  hardly 
twenty-one,  more  a  boy  than  a  man,  and  yet  I  believe 
him  to  be  honorable  that  way,  too.  I  know  he  has  a 
perfect  scorn  and  contempt  for  any  man  who  betrays 
an  innocent  girl,  the  same  as  Mr.  Everton  has." 

Diantha  was  struck  dumb.  This  was  information  with 
a  vengeance.  She  fairly  reeled  with  the  shock  that  this 
astounding  revelation  brought  to  her  mind.  Evidently 
the  three  men  had  discussed  this  vital  matter,  and  this 
was  the  shibboleth  of  an  honorable  man. 

Her  mental  process  indulged  in  so  many  cerebrations 
to  the  second  that  she  was  bewildered  by  the  vista  which 
opened  before  her,  this  sudden  glimpse  into  the  working 
of  a  man's  mind.  She  thought  it  over. 


284  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

It  was  good  as  far  as  it  went,  doubtless.  But  why 
should  not  all  men  be  moral  like  Caspar?  Before  she 
thought  she  had  spoken. 

"  I  am  very  much  pleased,  Caspar,  that  you  have  told 
me  this.  It  is  noble  for  men  to  have  such  ideas,"  she 
said,  and  then  hesitated  for  just  the  right  word,  "  but 
why  should  they  not  resist  wronging  —  all  women  ?  " 

Her  eyes  were  downcast  as  she  asked  it.  It  sounded 
more  blunt  than  she  had  meant  it  to  be. 

He  roused  himself  up,  and  the  wind  blew  his  locks 
about  wilfully.  There  was  a  darkened  look  about  his 
brows. 

"Don't  you  see  any  difference  between  an  innocent 
girl  and  that  creature  we  just  met,  coming  up  out  of 
the  water  like  a  companion  to  dolphins  ?  "  he  asked  in- 
dignantly. He  had  gone  straight  to  the  point.  She  could 
understand  plainly  what  he  meant.  "  The  one  is  worthy 
of  man's  protection  because  of  her  ignorance  —  if  all  men 
would  protect  all  the  innocent  there  would,  in  time,  be  no 
other  kind.  That  is  all  I  have  to  say/' 

But  he  had  not  finished,  and  presently  he  flashed  out 
again.  "  The  betrayer  of  the  innocent  is  a  reptile  of 
humankind  and  ought  to  be  driven  from  the  society  of 
decent  people,"  he  said  with  an  air  of  finality,  "  as  for  the 
'  Lost  Pleiads/  "  he  shrugged  his  shoulders  as  if  words 
failed  him.  "  If  a  man  is  honorable  among  men  ac- 
cording to  the  code  of  all  right-thinking  men,  I  consider 
no  woman  ought  to  ask  anything  further." 

Diantha  was  silenced  for  a  long  time.  What  a  revela- 
tion it  had  been  to  her  to  hear  of  this  new  code  of  honor. 


THE  CODE  OF  HONOR  285 

And  to  think  that  Mr.  Everton  and  Caspar  and  John 
all  believed  in  it  alike.  She  felt  something  happening 
to  her  brain.  A  new  cell  was  opening,  almost  bursting 
it  seemed  to  her,  with  this  new  sensation  of  taking  in 
this  new  point  of  view. 

Out  in  the  waves,  not  far  from  them,  appeared  two 
heads,  strong  swimmers  trying  their  strength.  They 
watched  them  for  a  time,  capering  about  like  sea-lions 
in  and  under  the  waves. 

"  How  wonderful  to  think  this  is  the  great  Atlantic," 
said  Caspar,  at  last,  "  and  that  the  other  side  of  it  laves 
the  shores  of  England  and  France  and  Spain.  Europe 
seems  so  near,  doesn't  it  ?  " 

So  they  talked  and  Caspar  began  to  bury  her  hand 
in  the  sand.  Then  she  made  him  lay  his  arm  in  a 
scooped-out  hole  and  covered  him  to  his  elbow.  It  was 
childish  sport,  but  the  air  was  good  and  salty  and  they 
were  happy  in  their  health  and  freedom  from  care,  so 
that  just  breathing  of  itself  was  a  delight  on  that  bright 
day. 

Then  the  lunch  was  produced  and  set  out,  and  soon 
despatched. 

"  I  can  see  a  ship,"  Caspar  cried.  "  It  is  our  ship  and 
it  is  bringing  us  all  we  desire.  What  do  you  say  the 
cargo  is?" 

Diantha  remembered  that  promise  she  had  made  her- 
self that  she  would  confess  to  Caspar  that  she  had  de- 
ceived him,  under  the  spell  of  the  sunshine  hoping  that 
he  would  receive  it  less  implacably  than  he  had  threat- 
ened. That  it  had  to  be  done  she  knew.  Would  this  be 


286  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

the  propitious  moment  she  had  prayed  for?  She  re- 
solved to  lend  to  the  effort  all  the  arts  of  which  she 
was  or  could  be  capable. 

"  It  is  bringing  us  something  sweet,"  she  said,  glancing 
into  his  dark  blue  eyes  and  noting  the  firm  curves  of  the 
proudly  set  lips,  the  white  forehead,  the  browned  cheeks 
in  the  sun,  and  the  thick  mop  of  clustering  hair,  already 
rebellious  in  its  disorder,  not  yet  used  to  the  new  part- 
ing. She  ventured  to  push  that  tumbled  lock  back  from 
his  eyes  almost  surprised  that  he  permitted  her  to  do  so. 

"  What  is  the  cargo  ?  "  he  repeated  significantly.  "  Not 
sugar?"  She  shook  her  head.  "Not  honey?  nor  mo- 
lasses ?  "  she  said. 

Then  they  were  silent  again,  she  feeling  her  heart 
beating  fast  at  the  fearsome  thought  of  daring  his  dis- 
pleasure, and  yet  venturing,  meditating  deliberately  how 
she  could  so  enthrall  him  that  he  should  cease  being  so 
icy  and  so  implacable.  So  that  he  should  be  more  hu- 
man, more  amenable  to  coaxing  and  persuasion. 

"  I  know,"  he  said,  and  he  put  his  arm  about  her  and 
drew  her  to  him,  much  as  a  bear  might  have  done. 

She  felt  herself  on  a  par  with  a  woman  of  the  dark 
ages  to  stoop  to  such  an  ignominy  as  utilizing  his  affec- 
tion for  her  for  purposes  of  her  own.  She  loathed  her- 
self for  it,  but  he  required  it  of  her,  she  thought,  by  his 
being  so  obdurate  and  inexorable. 

"  Wait,"  she  said  with  her  eyes  cast  down  and  her  hand 
held  between  them,  "  I  know  it  is  a  little  unconventional 
to  talk  about,  but  the  fact  is,"  and  then  she  looked  him 
straight  in  the  eyes,  "you  don't  know  how  —  to  kiss. 
Your  education  has  been  neglected." 


THE  CODE  OF  HONOR  287 

"What's  the  matter  with  my  way?"  he  asked  much 
amused. 

"  Well,"  she  said,  looking  away  out  to  sea  again,  "  you 
see  you  are  so  tumultuous.  The  first  time  you  bumped 
me  on  the  nose,  and  scared  the  poor  horse  so  he  jumped, 
and  the  last  time  you  nearly  loosened  my  teeth.  Now  I 
don't  like  that  sort." 

"  What  kind  do  you  like,  dearest  ?  "  said  he,  with  his 
face  dangerously  near  and  his  dark-blue  eyes  brimming 
with  love's  efflorescence. 

She  was  a  little  afraid,  it  was  easier  than  she  had 
thought  to  waken  him.  Yet  she  went  on. 

"  I  can  imagine  —  a  gentle  little  kiss  — "  she  said, 
"  something  not  fierce  and  scarlet,  but  small  and  silver 
and  in  clusters  —  much  pleasanter,  can't  you?  Of 
course  this  is  a  funny  way  for  me  to  talk,  but  do  you 
know  what  Mrs.  Mackintosh  said  of  us  ?  " 

"  No,  what  was  it  ? "  And  Caspar  leaned  over  and 
kissed  her  gently  thrice. 

"  It  was  a  moment  before  the  answer  came,  "  Oh,  she 
said  of  us,  'Of  all  the  twa's  that  e'er  twaed  ye  are  the 
quarest  twa.' " 

Diantha  was  formulating  her  confession  vaguely  and 
studying  him  closely. 

"  That  was  nice  of  her,"  observed  Caspar.  "  When 
are  we  going  to  be  married,  sweetheart?" 

"  Oh,  as  soon  as  we  get  things  settled,"  she  replied, 
and  there  was  an  alertness  in  her  manner  that  betokened 
sudden  excitement  in  her  brain. 

"  Settled?"  he  repeated.  "Why  everything  is  settled 
now  —  all  we  have  to  do  is  to  arrange  for  the  day." 


288  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

"  No,"  she  sighed  regretfully,  as  she  saw  he  was  still 
going  to  be  obdurate,  "  there  are  still  some  things  we 
have  not  yet  talked  about.'* 

"  Let's  cut  them,  then,"  he  said.  "  I  simply  hate  all 
that  nonsense  and  stuff  about  explaining  who  and  what 
we  are.  Let  us  play  we  are  Adam  and  Eve  without  any 
'  ifs '  and  'buts'  and  '  ands  ' — just  born  into  a  new 
world  which  is  all  ours." 

The  radiance  was  clouded,  the  spell  was  broken.  All 
her  confidences  hovering  upon  her  lips  sped  back  to  their 
secret  holds  again. 

"  I  only  wish  we  could/'  she  said,  ready  to  cry  with 
disappointment,  "but  Caspar,"  she  said,  pleadingly, 
"  surely  we  are  reasoning  creatures,  are  we  not  ?  " 

"  Oh,  to-day  ?  No !  "  he  exclaimed,  impatiently.  "  Let 
us  put  it  off  for  to-morrow  if  we  must  go  through  the 
ordeal.  This  is  the  sweetest  day  in  my  life,  sweetheart, 
don't  spoil  it !  Let  us  take  to-morrow,  and  pull  and  haul, 
if  we  must." 

"  But  we  go  yachting  to-morrow !  "  said  she,  suddenly 
remembering  the  top  flat  in  Pleiades  Court  and  the  bach- 
elor-girls rushing  around  getting  their  immaculate  shirt- 
waists ready  for  the  morrow. 

The  cloud  descended  upon  Caspar's  brow  at  once. 
"  Nothing  could  hire  me  —  oxen  cannot  drag  me." 

Diantha  tried  to  explain,  but  it  was  impossible  to  con- 
vince him  that  there  was  any  obligation  imposed  upon  him 
by  the  general  promise  made  by  Colleen  to  Mr.  Everton. 

As  for  anybody  missing  him,  he  laughed  the  idea  to 
scorn. 

"  I  wish  we  could  stay  here  forever,"  he  said.     "  I 


THE  CODE  OF  HONOR  289 

hate  crowds,  I  hate  people,  this  barren  stretch  of  sand 
and  you  are  what  I  want  forever/' 

What  to  do  with  the  stubborn  man,  she  did  not  know. 
In  her  own  mind  she  felt  sure  that  he  was  inconsiderate. 

"Don't  be  selfish,"  she  implored.  "  I  can  never  ex- 
plain to  anyone's  satisfaction  why  I  stayed  away  after 
accepting  an  invitation  like  that.  Besides  I  owe  it  to  the 
girls,  they  need  me,  you  know  how  much  they  need 
me." 

He  was  cross.  "  Thanks  to  your  cleverness,  they've 
got  that  gray-haired  chaperone  to  put  them  through  the 
paces,"  said  Caspar,  determinedly.  "  What  are  they  to 
you,  anyway,  that  you  should  carry  the  responsibility  of 
them  all  like  this  —  interfering  with  our  happiness?" 

She  sat  and  looked  at  him  puzzled  for  a  moment. 

"  Well,  I  wouldn't  have  believed  it  of  you,"  she  said, 
finally. 

"Believed  what?" 

"  Why,  has  it  never  occurred  to  you,  that  we,  none  of 
us,  live  in  this  world  for  ourselves  alone  ? "  she  asked 
in  evident  perplexity.  "  I  cannot  forget  that  if  it  had 
not  been  for  some  good  kind  friends  of  mine  at  a  time 
when  I  needed  them,  I  might  have  made  mistakes  like 
other  girls  have  done,  innocently,  of  course,  yet  none  the 
less  irretrievably.  And  I  have  vowed  that  I  will  do  as 
much  for  other  girls  as  was  done  for  me." 

He  was  gouging  out  the  sand  with  his  heels,  and  made 
no  answer.  She  gazed  upon  him  wonderingly. 

"  Are  you  so  lacking  in  interest  in  your  species,  Cas- 
par; are  you  so  above  being  benefited  by  others  that 
you  can  afford  to  shirk  doing  something  in  return  ?  " 


290  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

"  Oh,  put  it  off  for  to-morrow,"  he  entreated,  "  we  are 
so  happy  alone  here.  I  am  so  tired  of  these  problems.'' 

He  still  ground  his  heel  in  the  sand  impatiently. 

She  still  scanned  him  in  perplexity. 

"  Problems  you  may  well  say,  Caspar ;  yes,  indeed, 
problems  of  the  universe/'  she  said,  recklessly  rushing 
into  the  exploiting  of  her  pet  hobby.  "  Don't  you  feel 
any  stirrings  at  all  to  help  reforms  along  for  the  benefit 
of  mankind  ?  " 

Caspar  was  becoming  reckless,  too.  "  No,"  he  said 
positively.  "  All  people  want  is  to  be  let  alone.  It 
keeps  me  busy  reforming  myself  all  the  time,  and  if 
every  one  would  do  the  same,  we  should  all  be  better 
off." 

And  finding  a  shell  in  the  sand  he  hurled  it  out  fiercely 
into  the  sea. 

"  Reforming  —  yourself  — "  she  repeated  vaguely 
alarmed. 

"  That's  it,"  he  said,  dryly,  lying  down  full  length  on 
the  sand. 

"  Why,  is  there  anything  the  matter  with  you,  Cas- 
par?" She  seemed  startled  at  the  idea. 

"Of  course  there  is,"  said  he,  smiling  up  at  her. 
"Am  I  not  a  man?  And  is  any  man  perfect?  Have 
I  ever  given  you  any  reason  to  think  I  considered  my- 
self a  flawless  specimen  of  mankind?  Because  if  I  have 
I  want  to  disabuse  your  mind  just  now  and  forever. 
But  then  neither  are  you  perfect,  nor  is  anybody,  and 
it's  a  good  thing  they  are  not  —  they  would  be  awful 
bores." 

He  clasped  his  hands  behind  his  head  and  looked  up 


THE  CODE  OF  HONOR  291 

at  the  sky,  much  interested  in  a  passing  gull  overhead. 

Diantha  was  troubled.  Her  Caspar  not  perfect?  She 
knew  he  was  stubborn  and  cross  at  times  when  he  did 
not  like  things,  but  the  need  for  reforming  himself  was 
altogether  another  matter.  What  was  there  about  him 
that  he  considered  required  correction?  Was  he  not  all 
she  had  thought  him?  —  pure  and  innocent?  Was  he 
then  like  other  men,  and  had  she  been  imposing  upon 
herself,  deceived  by  his  modest  manner?  She  was  over- 
whelmed. What  had  Mr.  Everton  said  of  Caspar?  He 
had  said  he  was  a  fine  fellow,  he  had  been  most  gener- 
ous; she  felt  she  loved  Mr.  Everton  for  that  mag- 
nanimous spirit  of  his  if  there  had  never  been  anything 
else,  to  say  nothing  of  his  having  saved  her  life. 

Again  she  found  herself  comparing  them.  What  if 
there  was  no  difference  between  them,  after  all,  on  the 
one  count  on  which  she  had  always  laid  such  great 
stress?  She  had  built  an  ideal  man  a  shrine  in  her 
heart,  and  she  had  dreamed  she  had  found  him.  But 
what  if  she  had  been  only  dreaming? 

She  had  learned  to  love  Caspar,  not  for  his  rugged 
strength,  nor  for  his  masterful  spirit  alone,  but  pri- 
marily for  his  purity,  manly  purity  of  heart.  That 
was  the  elemental  virtue  which  placed  a  halo  about  his 
head,  which  exalted  him  above  all  other  men.  Without 
that  halo  he  was  as  much  a  stranger  to  her  as  he  had 
been  without  his  beard.  Without  that  halo  with  which 
she  had  endowed  him  in  her  reckoning  of  him,  he  could 
not  stand  superior  to  Mr.  Everton. 

But  when  she  had  gotten  this  far  in  her  mental  cal- 
culations her  brain  balked  and  she  could  go  no  further. 


292  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

She  felt  an  embarrassment  creeping  over  her  at  the 
thought  of  how  she  had  presumed  upon  the  strength  of 
her  belief  in  Caspar's  modest  quality.  She  wondered 
how  she  had  dared  but  a  few  moments  before  to  push 
back  that  vagrant  lock  from  his  forehead. 

Caspar  became  aware  of  her  silence  suddenly.  He 
still  lay  at  full  length  on  the  sand  with  his  hands 
clasped  behind  his  head.  But  he  was  looking  into  her 
eyes  laughingly,  and  with  that  radiant  smile  that  always 
captivated  her  so. 

As  she  caught  the  glint  that  flashed  up  at  her  from  his 
dark-blue  eyes,  her  heart  leaped  in  spite  of  her  cold 
reasoning.  There  was  a  moment's  temptation  crept  into 
her  heart  to  put  off  everything  that  was  sensible,  and  to 
yield  all  her  mental  calculation,  and  indulge  in  the  sweet- 
ness of  being  here  with  her  dear  man  as  if  there  were 
no  to-morrow.  What  if  he  were  not  absolutely  flaw- 
less—  didn't  she  love  him  in  spite  of  herself?  What  if 
he  were  not  perfect,  was  it  not  all  the  better  for  that 
moment  when  she  should  have  to  confess  her  deception 
to  him?  It  was  such  an  uncanny  thought  that  it  almost 
frightened  her.  She  felt  herself  going  back  into  the 
dark  ages  again  of  womanhood,  winning  her  way  with 
cunning. 

All  she  had  to  say  was  that  he  had  deceived  her  and 
she  had  deceived  him  and  they  could  call  it  "  quits." 
And  her  tiny  little  fault  being  so  microscopic  by  com- 
parison with  his  would  give  her  the  whip-hand  hence- 
forth. But  her  inner  stubborn  self  said,  "  No,  it  is  not 
better,  I  prefer  to  bear  the  burden  of  my  deceit  and 
to  keep  him  still  with  his  halo." 


THE  CODE  OF  HONOR  293 

He  took  her  hand  in  his  and  pressed  it  to  his  lips. 
His  ardor  and  complete  happiness  filled  the  atmosphere 
all  about  her,  so  that  for  the  moment  Diantha  forgot  the 
forebodings  of  her  heart. 

Diantha,  however,  had  the  habit  of  following  when 
gray-robed  duty  pointed.  She  remembered  that  when 
Caspar  was  bold  he  was  daringly  so.  She  was  already 
a  little  alarmed  by  the  half-doubts  of  him  that  had  crept 
into  her  heart  so  insidiously. 

If  these  were  his  arts,  she  would  resist  them.  If  he 
had  a  power  to  upset  her  judgment,  she  would  call  a  halt. 
She  loved  him,  she  hated  him.  She  grew  angry  at  her- 
self for  thinking  that  she  could  venture  to  enthrall  him 
and  make  him  less  icy  and  more  amenable  to  coaxing 
in  safety  to  herself.  She  had  discovered  that  she  was 
playing  with  fire,  that  she  was  simply  a  fool,  just  like 
all  the  other  women  who  made  mistakes,  when  it  came 
to  being  blinded  with  love. 

She  arose  hurriedly  and  shaking  the  sand  from  her 
skirt,  gathered  up  her  belongings. 

"  What's  the  matter  ?  "  he  asked,  yet  he  remained  in 
his  easy  attitude,  as  if  under  the  spell  of  some  strange 
freedom  from  care  and  formality,  never  shown  by  him 
before. 

She  looked  at  him  disapprovingly.  "  You  are  too  tu- 
multuous —  I  don't  —  like  you  —  to-day  — "  she  mur- 
mured faintly,  half  under  her  breath,  and  then  she 
turned  away  resolutely,  and  began  to  walk  along  the 
shore,  alone,  toward  Brighton. 

Suddenly  he  came  to  himself  at  the  sight  of  her  back 
turned  to  him  and  herself  receding  from  him  without 


294  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

a  backward  glance.  He  was  up  in  a  flash  and  walking 
after  her  with  long  steps. 

Stumbling  along  in  her  agitation  over  the  humps  of 
sand,  she  made  no  response  to  his  questions.  When  he 
ceased  asking  them,  she  said  merely,  "  I  hate  Coney 
Island." 

"Ah,  no  you  don't,"  he  exclaimed,  "this  is  the  hap- 
piest day  we  ever  had." 

"  Not  for  me,"  she  said  quietly.  "  I  don't  —  like  — 
sea-men  any  better  than  you  like  —  sea-women." 

"  Don't  be  cross  — "  he  entreated,  "  just  because  I 
was  so  happy  for  once  in  my  starved  life,  I  was  so 
glad  to  think  you  were  mild  and  gentle." 

She  did  not  hear,  she  was  so  busy  thinking. 


CHAPTER  XXXIX 

OVER  LONG   BRIDGE  AMID  FAIRY  LIGHTS 

IT  was  a  long  walk  to  the  bedecked  pavilions  of 
Brighton.  They  did  not  pause  to  enter  them  but 
kept  along  their  way.  They  spoke  of  the  sea  and  other 
things  indifferently,  and  the  sun  had  set  and  twilight 
was  upon  them  before  they  reached  the  long  board- 
walk that  spanned  the  marshes  and  the  lowlands,  be- 
tween there  and  Brooklyn. 

The  lights  were  all  gleaming  from  shore  to  shore  and 
the  red  and  blue  and  yellow  lanterns  were  reflected  in 
the  waters  about  them  till  it  seemed  they  were  walking 
over  a  bridge  in  fairyland. 

Diantha  was  busy  thinking,  thinking,  trying  to  find 
out  where  she  stood. 

Everything  was  confusion,  however.  It  seemed  as 
if  a  moral  and  mental  earthquake  had  shaken  her  very 
being.  She  seemed  to  have  discovered  that  there  were 
two  Dianthas,  and  that  they  were  in  conflict.  One  kept 
insisting  on  the  goodness  of  Mr.  Everton  and  the  other 
on  the  over-powering  spell  of  Caspar. 

"What  a  wonderful  sight,"  exclaimed  Caspar,  dwell- 
ing on  the  weird  scene  through  which  they  were  pass- 
ing. 

On  and  on  they  walked  over  that  apparently  endless 
295 


296  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

long  bridge,  as  alone  as  if  there  were  no  peopled  centers 
in  that  corner  of  the  earth. 

Shyly,  Diantha  thought  of  that  other  dark  water,  far 
away  in  the  fresh  new  world  of  the  West,  over  which 
Caspar  had  carried  her  in  his  arms.  She  wondered 
at  her  childish  confidence  in  him  at  that  time,  at  her 
fearless  dependence  upon  him.  Was  he  not  all  she  had 
thought  him?  Would  not  her  intuitions  have  warned 
her  if  he  were  not?  And  Mrs.  Mackintosh  believed  in 
him,  too,  just  as  she  had  believed  in  her.  How  beauti- 
ful was  that  faith  of  hers!  She  would  never  forget 
that  Mrs.  Mackintosh  had  believed  in  her. 

"  I  wish  we  could  go  on  like  this  forever,"  said  Cas- 
par, finally. 

Then  it  was  that  Diantha  bridled  her  run-away 
thoughts  and  came  to  her  senses  once  more.  "  It  would 
be  nice,"  she  said,  "  but,  unfortunately  we  are  due  to- 
morrow morning  at  nine  on  the  yacht." 

"  I  am  not,"  said  he  lightly,  but  definitely. 

"What  will  you  do  all  day  with  yourself?"  she 
asked  curiously. 

He  turned  and  looked  at  her  with  that  smile  in  his 
eyes  which  always  captivated  her  senses.  "  Won't  you 
let  me  have  the  key  to  your  flat  and  let  me  stay  there 
till  you  all  come  home  ?  " 

"  What  a  queer  notion !  "  and  she  had  to  laugh  at  what 
she  called  the  "  deep-dyed  "  simplicity  of  the  idea. 

They  had  almost  reached  the  end  of  the  long  bridge, 
across  the  dark  waters  of  the  lowland.  Caspar  put  his 
arm  about  her,  gently  this  time,  and  bent  over,  but  she 
very  decidedly  drew  away  and  said,  "  I  have  made  up 


OVER  LONG  BRIDGE  AMID  FAIRY  LIGHTS     297 

my  mind,  Caspar,  not  to  —  kiss  you  —  again  —  until  we 
—  are  married." 

"  But  that's  no  reason  why  I  should  not  kiss  you," 
he  explained  cunningly.  "Why,  what  is  the  matter?" 

It  took  some  time  before  she  could  speak.  After 
some  questioning  she  revealed  the  fact  of  her  not  being 
sure  that  she  knew  him  very  well  yet,  which  bothered 
him  somewhat.  After  awhile,  however,  he  understood 
that  her  faith  in  him  had  been  upset,  and  that  she  did 
not  know  whether  to  believe  in  him  or  not. 

As  this  state  of  her  mind  became  known  to  him,  and 
the  awful  truth  dawned  on  him  that  their  love  was  in 
jeopardy,  he  was  greatly  distressed.  He  protested,  he 
demanded  explanations,  he  became  stern  and  terrible. 

As  they  took  the  trolley  car  and  went  upon  their 
way  in  swiftness,  still  he  was  in  a  tumult  of  feeling, 
Diantha  did  not  know  what  to  do  with  him. 

In  the  face  of  this  new  misunderstanding,  she  forgot 
her  previous  problems,  and  the  sweet  air  rushed  by,  as 
they  were  brought  finally  to  the  sight  of  the  great  bridge 
that  spanned  the  river,  uniting  the  two  great  cities  with 
its  thousand  lights. 

But  Caspar,  usually  so  alive  to  the  new  and  splendid 
sights  of  the  metropolis,  was  more  occupied  with  the 
great  cataclysm  that  had  parted  him  from  his  love.  He 
gave  but  a  glance  at  the  mighty  work  of  man's  com- 
bined intelligence  and  handicraft  that  swung  so  lightly 
across  the  dark  tide  from  shore  to  shore. 

To  him  at  that  moment,  had  Brooklyn  Bridge  been 
threatened  with  destruction,  it  would  have  been  of  small 
moment  compared  with  the  destruction  that  threatened 


298  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

his  love.  He  would  have  said,  in  choosing  the  lesser 
ruin,  "  Let  the  bridge  go,"  if  thereby  he  could  have 
saved  his  love. 

He  was  overwhelmed  with  the  disaster  which  had 
come  upon  him,  he  knew  not  how  nor  why.  As  he  be- 
came depressed,  anxious  and  despondent  over  this  inex- 
plicable state  of  affairs,  gradually  Diantha  grew  more 
comfortable,  more  contained  and  content. 

He  seemed  more  like  the  Caspar  she  knew  and  loved 
so  well.  That  other  Caspar  she  was  afraid  of,  she 
did  not  know  him  in  the  least.  But  she  did  not  want 
to  leave  him  a  prey  to  these  terrible  feelings  for  twenty- 
four  hours,  so  with  a  proviso,  she  agreed  to  remain 
home  from  the  yacht-trip  and  settle  all  these  misunder- 
standings, new  and  old,  once  and  forever. 

"  But  you  must  promise,"  she  demanded,  "  that  you 
will  behave  just  as  if  Colleen  and  all  the  other  bachelor- 
girls  are  there." 

"  I  hope  I  am  a  gentleman,"  he  suggested  with  dignity, 
as  they  entered  the  final  car  to  carry  them  up-town. 
The  voice  of  the  city  was  calling  harshly,  but  it  could 
not  drown  out  the  accents  of  love. 

"  There  is  only  one  thing  I  have  to  ask,"  he  said 
gently.  She  was  all  attention. 

"  That  you  will  not  make  it  too  easy  for  me  to  be- 
have," he  murmured,  "  that  you  will  show  you  do  still 
have  faith  in  me." 

He  was  again  her  own  dear  man,  and  she  was  full 
of  gratitude. 

She  promised.  They  parted  at  the  door  of  Pleiades 
Court  and  she  went  in  alone. 


CHAPTER  XL 

THE    PLEIADES    DISCUSS    LOVE    AND    LUNATICS 

THE  bachelor-girls  had  been  busy  all  day  renovating 
their  costumes,  blacking  their  shoes,  pressing  out 
ribbons,  and  getting  themselves  in  readiness  for  the  mor- 
row. At  last,  however,  all  was  in  order,  dinner  had  been 
eaten,  and  they  were  disporting  themselves  in  comfort 
upon  the  couches  at  rest,  while  Gene  was  holding  forth 
on  some  new  ideas  from  a  book  that  had  come  her  way. 

"  Most  outrageous  thing  I  ever  saw  between  covers," 
she  was  saying  as  Diantha  entered. 

A  shout  went  up  at  the  appearance  of  their  beloved 
sister.  Colleen  at  once  had  her  at  the  table  with  a  saved 
portion  of  dinner  with  which  to  refresh  her.  Then  they 
returned  to  the  front  room  again. 

"  Why,  I  never  heard  such  rot,"  Seddie  was  exclaim- 
ing. 

"  Life  would  not  be  worth  living/'  murmured  Show- 
ery, "  if  such  ideas  prevailed  generally." 

"How  can  you  read  any  more  of  the  stuff?"  cried 
Anna. 

Then  these  protestations  had  to  be  explained  to  Di- 
antha. 

"  What  do  you  think  ?  "  began  Gene.  "  Here  is  an  au- 
thor, anonymous,  who  asserts  that  only  a  lunatic  mar- 

299 


300  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

ries  for  love!  Now,  what  do  you  say  to  that?  Things 
are  getting  to  a  pretty  pass  when  a  man,  for,  of  course, 
it  is  a  man,  will  sit  down  in  cold  blood  and  write  such 
heresy  as  that/' 

Instead  of  launching  out  into  the  oratory  expected 
of  her,  Diantha  seemed  struck  dumb. 

"Why,  what's  the  matter,"  cried  Gene,  "aren't  you 
and  Caspar  going  *  to  hit  it  off,'  that  you  look  so  seri- 
ous?" 

Still  she  made  no  answer,  and  they  all  joined  in  the 
war-cry  to  know  what  was  the  matter. 

She  came  out  of  her  brown  study,  slowly.  "  Now, 
don't  be  surprised,  girls,"  she  said,  meditatively,  "  but 
I  think  I  understand  that." 

"  Understand  what  ?  "  they  demanded,  for  the  orig- 
inal question  had  been  forgotten  in  their  wonder  at  her 
mood. 

"  Why,  about  lunatics  being  the  only  ones  who  marry 
for  love.    There  must  be  something  else  besides  that  is 
sensible, —  respect  and  admiration." 
"  That's  included,"  protested  Seddie. 
"  I'd  rather   be   a   lunatic,"   cried  Anna,   in   defense 
of  her  youthful  opinion. 

"  You  wouldn't  any  such  thing ! "  exclaimed  Diantha. 
"  You  refuse  to  marry  John  Quincy  because  he  is  de- 
pendent on  his  father,  and  you  can't  admire  that  kind 
of  a  man.  The  fact  is,  girls,  that  we  have  understood 
that  idea  for  a  long  time.  Look  how  we  have  planned 
not  to  marry  any  man  that  we  should  be  ashamed  to 
introduce  to  our  children  as  their  father.  We  are,  none 
of  us,  lunatics." 


LOVE  AND  LUNATICS  301 

"  Well,  I  like  that! "  said  Gene,  "  if  ever  there  was  a 
lunatic  on  this  sublunary  sphere,  past,  present  or  future, 
it  is  you,  yourself,  Diantha  March.  You  are  so  madly 
in  love  with  your  Caspar  that  you  haven't  any  sense 
left  in  your  poor  noddle." 

"  Gene  is  just  trying  to  tease,"  interposed  Colleen. 

A  tiny  cloud  began  to  gather  on  Diantha's  brow.  "  I 
wish  you  would  explain  yourself,  Gene,"  she  said,  icily. 

"  Haven't  time,"  responded  the  journalist-girl,  going 
back  to  her  volume.  "  It  says  here  that  animals  mate 
for  love,  but  that  human-beings  ought  to  have  higher 
ideas." 

"  I  think  I  am  entitled  to  an  answer,"  insisted  Diantha. 
"  In  what  way  am  I  a  lunatic  in  choosing  Caspar  as 
the  man  I  am  going  to  marry  ?  " 

"  Why,  you  are  choosing  him  not  for  any  sane  rea- 
son, Marchie,"  replied  Gene,  "  but  just  because  he 
pleases  you.  He  has  an  over-mastering  will,  and  you 
will  have  to  go  into  eclipse  when  once  he  is  your  boss. 
You  will  have  to  check  all  your  lovely  impulses  and  not 
call  your  soul  your  own.  All  for  what?  Just  because 
you  are  in  love  with  him." 

Diantha  was  not  angry,  she  was  only  puzzled.  She 
demanded  that  if  Gene  thought  Caspar  unworthy  in 
any  way  to  tell  her  what  she  based  it  on. 

"  To  tell  you  the  truth,  Marchie,"  she  replied  impa- 
tiently, "  I  have  never  seen  the  handsome  brute  for 
more  than  a  minute  nor  have  I  exchanged  a  word  with 
him.  I  consider  him  a  sealed  book.  It  would  seem  that 
when  a  man  is  so  unfrank  and  so  unsociable  that  there 
is  something  to  conceal." 


302  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

"Oh/'  interrupted  Colleen,  "he  is  lovely  —  just  as 
nice  a  man  as  was  ever  constructed." 

Diantha  gave  her  a  grateful  look  while  Gene  laughed 
at  the  term. 

"  I  know  he  is  a  kind  of  a  bear,"  admitted  Diantha, 
"  but  I  don't  mind  that  so  long  as  he  is  good." 

"  Good?  "  exclaimed  Gene.  "  How  can  any  girl  know 
whether  a  man  is  good  or  not?  A  man  can  have  seven 
devils  and  a  girl  would  never  know." 

At  this  there  arose  a  shout  of  dismay.  "  Oh,  that  is 
terrible,"  said  Showery,  "  whatever  put  that  in  your 
head,  Gene?" 

"  Why,  it's  in  the  Bible,"  was  the  response. 

"  My  goodness ! "  exclaimed  the  youthful  Anna,  hor- 
rified, "  I  don't  believe  it  is  safe  to  marry  any  man ! " 

Diantha  took  on  an  exalted  look.  "  My  father  was  a 
good  man  and  didn't  have  any  devils  and  I  know  there 
are  other  men  in  the  world  equally  good.  I'd  be  ashamed 
to  be  so  lacking  in  faith." 

Gene  held  her  fingers  up  and  began  enumerating  the 
many  kinds  of  vices  which  belonged  to  the  ordinary 
man,  the  smoking,  the  swearing,  the  lying,  the  jealous, 
the  gambling,  the  woman,  the  drinking  devils  that  might 
lodge  in  the  heart  of  the  male  being. 

"  Now,  which  will  you  choose  ? "  she  asked. 

"  What  nonsense !  "  exclaimed  Diantha,  "  that's  no 
test  at  all.  My  Caspar  does  not  have  -any  of  those 
devils  at  all." 

"  All  the  worse  for  him/'  said  Gene,  "  he  must  be  a 
monster." 


LOVE  AND  LUNATICS  303 

"  Oh,"  interposed  Colleen,  "  he  is  really  as  nice  a  man 
as  was  ever — " 

"  Constructed  ?  "  laughed  Gene  supplying  the  word, 
"  he  must  be  a  construction  if  he  is  so  unlike  the 
ordinary  man." 

"  Gene's  jealous/'  suggested  Seddie  slyly. 

"Girls,"  said  Colleen,  abruptly,  "  we  must  go  to 
bed,  if  we  expect  to  go  on  the  yacht  to-morrow." 

It  took  a  mighty  effort  on  Diantha's  part  to  tell  them 
she  was  not  going  with  them.  After  a  few  blank  looks, 
a  silence  succeeded  that  made  the  temperature  fall  many 
degrees. 

"  That's  what  comes  from  being  a  lunatic,"  observed 
Gene  significantly. 


CHAPTER  XLI 

A  BATTLE  ROYAL 

WHEN  Caspar  appeared  the  next  morning,  Diantha 
produced  a  long  strip  of  paper  with  a  list  of  items 
upon  it.  "  There  is  no  time  to  spare,"  she  said,  "  if 
we  are  going  to  get  through  with  these  matters  before 
the  girls  get  home.  Now,  I  am  going  to  ask  you  a 
very  serious  question,  what  did  you  mean  that  night 
when  you  carried  me  over  the  river  and  you  said  we 
should  pretend  to  be  engaged  ?  " 

"  Ah,  that  was  a  lucky  thought  of  mine !  "  he  ex- 
claimed smiling. 

"  Never  mind  that,  Caspar,"  she  interrupted,  "  what 
I  am  coming  to  is  something  quite  different.  I  said, '  but 
you  don't  want  to  marry '  and  you  said,  '  Of  course  not ! 
Besides, — '  Now,  what  did  you  mean  by  that  word  ? " 

"  Did  I  say  '  besides  ? '  "  he  asked  innocently. 

"  Indeed  you  did  and  made  me  most  unhappy  because 
I  don't  know  even  now  what  you  meant  by  it.  And 
I  must  know.  Was  it  *  besides  I  am  too  poor/  or  '  I 
should  choose  another  girl/  or  was  it  '  besides  I  should 
not  marry  a  Canadian  ?  '  "  ' 

"  I  don't  remember,"  he  said  indifferently. 

"  Yes,"  said  she,  "  that's  just  like  a  man,  what  almost 
drives  a  woman  nearly  mad,  he  doesn't  even  remember. 
Now,  the  first  time  I  told  you  I  was  not  afraid  to  walk 

304 


A  BATTLE  ROYAL  305 

twelve  miles  for  I  was  no  city-girl  but  born  and  bred 
in  Canada,  I  noticed  that  there  was  a  blank  look  of  dis- 
appointment came  over  your  face.  And  I  thought 
maybe  you  had  that  against  me.  Are  you  sure  that  it 
makes  no  difference  to  you  about  my  nationality  being 
different  from  yours  ?  " 

"  Why,  yes/'  he  said,  "  I  don't  care.  My  mother 
wrote  to  me  in  great  distress  about  it,  but  I  wrote  and 
told  her  you  weren't  Canadian  enough  to  hurt." 

At  this  naive  confession  of  his,  the  loyal  blood  of 
Diantha  boiled  in  her  veins.  She  looked  him  in  the  eyes 
intently  and  said  sharply,  "  But  you  are  mistaken !  I 
am  Canadian  enough  to  hurt." 

It  then  dawned  over  Caspar  that  a  mental  volcano 
was  yawning  between  them.  He  was  slowly  being  en- 
veloped in  fire,  smoke  and  lava,  and  he  knew  it. 

"  Not  enough  to  hurt  me/'  he  said  stupidly. 

"  You  don't  know  me,"  she  exclaimed.  "I  am  a  loy- 
alist from  the  days  of  the  Revolution.  I  shall  never 
give  up  my  country,  not  for  any  man  that  breathes.  I 
love  my  native  land.  I  adore  it,  there  is  no  place  on 
earth  that  will  be  home  to  me  but  Canada,  and  I  shall 
never  change,  I  shall  always  be  the  same." 

Then  she  waited. 

"  You  are  an  American,"  he  began,  huskily,  as  was 
his  wont  when  greatly  excited.  "  I  am  an  American, 
we  have  the  same  nationality." 

"  I  am  a  British  subject,"  she  said,  proudly,  "  the 
daughter  of  Loyalists,  who  left  Massachusetts  at  the 
close  of  the  Revolution  and  settled  in  Canada,  when  it 
was  a  howling  wilderness.  Is  all  that  to  go  for  noth- 


306  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

ing?  Was  I  reared  next  door  to  the  glaciers  to  be 
faithless  to  my  land  ?  " 

Caspar  tried  to  smile.  "  Now,  Diantha,  all  this  is  ab- 
surd," he  protested.  "  What  did  poor  old  King  George 
do  for  you  that  you  should  be  loyal  to  him?  Besides, 
he  has  been  dead  for  over  a  hundred  years.  Oh,  sweet- 
heart, you  don't  mean  to  let  a  dead  king  come  between 
us  two,  surely,  after  we  have  learned  to  love  each  other 
so?" 

She  buried  her  face  in  her  hands,  and  he  was  on  his 
knees  before  her,  protesting  and  entreating  her  not  to 
allow  this  thing  to  be. 

At  last  she  drew  her  hands  from  her  face  and  looked 
him  squarely  in  the  eyes.  He  returned  her  glance  so 
innocently,  so  without  anything  of  his  usual  embarrass- 
ment, that  she  was  touched  to  the  heart.  As  she  gazed 
into  those  dark-blue  eyes,  she  gave  over  any  doubt  of 
him,  she  knew  he  was  all  she  had  believed  him,  inno- 
cent and  unsullied  by  the  world. 

However,  she  was  resolute  in  having  this  other  matter 
settled  once  for  all,  distressed  as  she  was  in  thus  having 
to  force  it  upon  Caspar.  It  had  to  be  done.  They 
must  come  to  an  understanding,  if  they  were  to  hope 
for  happiness  and  harmony  in  the  years  to  come. 

A  comparison  came  to  her  mind.  She  would  put  it  to 
him  in  order  to  make  him  comprehend  her  feelings  in 
the  matter. 

"You  know,  Caspar,  that  you  can  only  have  one 
mother  ?  "  she  said,  gravely. 

He  agreed  willingly. 

"  And  only  one  country,"  she  continued.     "  Now,  just 


A  BATTLE  ROYAL  307 

suppose  that  I  should  ask  you  to  give  up  your  mother, 
to  please  me.  That  seems  terrible  to  you.  Yet  you 
want  me  to  give  up  my  country  to  please  you."  She 
arose  and  went  to  the  window  and  looked  out. 

The  harsh  voice  of  the  city  as  it  appeared  to  Caspar, 
came  in  through  the  space.  He  began  to  walk  up  and 
down  excitedly. 

After  a  while  he  came  to  a  sudden  pause.  "  You  are 
Scotch  and  I  am  Scotch,"  he  said,  "we  belong  to  the 
same  race." 

"  There  is  Kelt  in  my  veins  as  well,"  she  said,  proudly. 
"  I  had  an  Irish  grandmother." 

"  So  had  I ! "  cried  Caspar.  "  My  Scotch  ancestor 
stopped  on  his  way  over,  in  Ireland,  and  brought  his 
bride  from  there.  Why,  that  of  itself  is  enough." 

But  Diantha  was  obdurate.  She  kept  her  face  turned 
away.  "  This  is  a  good  country  to  come  to,"  he  sug- 
gested, "  why  not  for  adoption  ?  " 

"  I  will  not  give  up  my  country  for  any  other ! " 

"  Be  sensible,  sweetheart,"  he  pleaded  with  her,  "  why, 
when  a  woman  of  some  other  land  marries  a  native  of 
this  country,  by  that  very  ceremony  she  becomes  a  natu- 
ralized citizen  of  the  U.  S.  A.  That  is  the  law  here. 
You  can't  help  yourself  when  you  are  married  to  me." 

She  gave  a  little  laugh  of  scorn.  "  And  do  you  think 
all  the  laws  in  the  world  would  change  my  heart?  In- 
deed not!  Nor  can  they  make  me  into  anything  but 
what  I  am  —  a  Canadian." 

There  was  a  wild  look  in  Caspar's  eyes.  "  What  is  it 
you  want  me  to  do  ?  "  he  asked,  huskily,  again. 

She  turned  to  him  sweetly.    Was  he  going  to  yield? 


308  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

"  It  isn't  very  much,"  she  said,  "  I  only  want  you  to 
promise  that  you  will  be  willing  to  let  me  remain  loyal 
to  my  own  country,  and  that  you  will  sing  my  national 
songs  with  me." 

"  I  don't  see  how  I  can  bring  myself  to  do  it ! "  he  ex- 
claimed. "  Let  me  go  out  and  walk  around,  till  I  can 
think  it  over."  He  seized  his  hat  and  went  forth  like 
a  rushing  wind. 

"  It  is  terrible,  simply  terrible,"  said  Diantha  to  her- 
self. "  Maybe  as  Gene  says,  we  are  not  going  '  to  hit  it 
off '  after  all." 

But  her  heart  cried  out  in  spite  of  herself,  she  began 
to  think  her  loyalty  to  old  King  George  was  going  to  cost 
her  dear. 

She  tried  to  think,  was  there  a  compromise  of  any  kind 
she  could  fall  back  upon?  She  sat  there  puzzling  and 
an  hour  went  by.  She  felt  weak  within,  and  wondered 
why  she  had  stirred  up  the  miserable  question. 

Then  to  her  great  relief,  he  rang,  and  she  opened  the 
door. 

When  he  came  in,  his  face  was  set  in  lines  of  suffer- 
ing that  gave  a  chiseled  appearance  to  his  features.  She 
yearned  over  him  and  yet  she  knew  she  was  not  ready 
to  yield. 

He  looked  at  her  as  if  it  were  for  the  last  time.  "  Is 
there  any  way  —  out  ?  "  he  stammered. 

"  Yes,  there  is  just  one,"  she  made  reply,  "  but  it  is 
not  right  to  ask  it." 

He  waited  for  her  answer,  as  if  instinctively  bracing 
himself  for  a  shock,  and  his  face  was  very  sad. 

"  I   will  give  up  my  country,"   she   half-whispered, 


A  BATTLE  ROYAL  309 

under  her  breath,  "  if  you  —  will  give  —  up  —  your  — 
mother !  " 

But  she  was  frightened  as  she  said  it. 

He  wavered  as  if  he  had  been  struck  to  the  heart. 

"  I  cannot,"  he  murmured,  "  it  is  impossible."  And  he 
went  to  the  door,  took  his  hat  and  staggered  from  sight. 

She  looked  down  from  the  window  and  saw  him  aim- 
lessly wandering  along  the  sidewalk  till  he  passed  from 
sight. 

She  felt  guilty  and  wicked.  She  wanted  to  make 
reparation.  What  could  she  do?  A  new  idea  came 
into  her  mind  and  she  went  into  the  next  flat  and  bor- 
rowed something  from  the  kindly  neighbor  there.  She 
went  into  the  hall  and  took  stock  of  the  things  in  the 
ice-chest,  and  from  there  into  the  kitchen,  and  began 
to  prepare  things  for  dinner. 

"  I  wonder  if  I  shall  ever  see  my  Caspar  again?  "  she 
kept  thinking.  And  her  heart  grew  heavy. 

The  afternoon  began  to  grow  dim.  She  had  no  ap- 
petite for  the  food  she  had  prepared.  "  Oh,  but  I  have 
been  foolish,"  she  was  saying  to  herself,  "  what  has  ever 
King  George  done  for  me?  "  Then  the  ring  of  the  bell 
set  her  heart  to  beating  joyfully. 

He  came  in,  low-browed  with  the  hair  hanging  al- 
most in  his  eyes,  dark  in  color,  a  strange  fierce  look  upon 
his  features,  and  a  glitter  in  his  dark-blue  eyes.  He  had 
been  gone  five  hours,  wrestling  alone  with  his  elemental 
passions. 

"  I  have  been  thinking  —  it  over,"  he  said  hoarsely. 
"  One  may  get  along  —  without  friends,  without  relatives 
—  it  can  be  done  —  but  a  man  must  have  his  woman. 


310  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

He  cannot  live  without  her.     If  everything  else  fails,  the 
pair  must  be  complete." 

This  was  capitulation  with  a  vengeance.  Her  chief 
idea  was  to  change  the  subject. 

"  Sit  down,  Caspar,"  she  said,  soothingly,  "  you  must 
be  half  starved,  dinner  is  almost  ready,"  and  then  she 
hastened  away. 

He  was  still  in  a  fierce  condition  of  mind  when  he 
heard  the  sound  of  desultory  hammering.  It  struck  him 
peculiarly,  as  if  a  thought-message  had  reached  him. 

He  arose  and  ventured  into  the  hall,  and  from  there 
looked  into  the  dining-room  whence  issued  the  irregular 
sound. 

There  upon  the  table  pulled  close  to  the  wall,  was 
Diantha  standing  and  tacking  something  against  the 
wall. 

He  stood  and  watched  her  vaguely,  as  she  stepped 
down  and  gazed  upon  her  work,  critically.  She  turned 
and  saw  him  and  a  bright  flush  dyed  her  cheeks. 

"Do  you  like  it?"  she  asked. 

Then  he  glanced  up  and  saw  that  the  "  Stars  and 
Stripes  "  of  his  native  land  were  there  before  them.  He 
stood  without  a  word  —  and  then  the  sigh  of  relief  that 
welled  up  from  his  heavy  heart  came  as  a  mighty  sob. 
The  tears  were  dashed  from  his  eyes  and  he  looked  at 
her  for  one  supreme  moment.  He  knew  then  that  be- 
cause he  had  yielded  that  she,  too,  would  yield,  that 
neither  would  require  of  the  other  such  a  supreme  sac- 
rifice. 

"  Do  you  know  how  to  set  the  table,  Caspar  ?  "  she  said, 
brightly,  as  if  that  ordeal  were  over,  forever. 


A  BATTLE  ROYAL  311 

Awkwardly  he  tried  to  place  the  dishes  in  obedience 
to  her  suggestion.  Then  all  at  once  he  laughed  softly, 
and  she  came  close  to  his  side  and  asked,  "  What  is  it  ?  " 
And  he  pointed  to  the  flag,  and  drew  her  attention  to  the 
fact  that  it  was  tacked  to  the  wall,  upside  down. 

"  The  blue  standard  should  be  up,"  he  said. 

Nothing  loth,  again  she  mounted  the  chair  and  re- 
placed it,  correctly. 

Both  were  subdued  and  grateful  to  the  other. 

Then  it  was  that  Diantha  remembered  how  she  had 
promised  not  to  be  too  severe,  not  to  make  it  too  easy 
for  him  to  behave  himself,  but  to  show  that  she  still  had 
faith  in  him  by  venturing  upon  a  little  friendly  familiar- 
ity, as  in  days  gone  by. 

As  she  told  him  where  to  place  the  butter-dish,  very 
gently  she  placed  her  hand  upon  his  shoulder.  But  by 
some  inexplicable  piece  of  misfortune,  just  then  she  let 
the  piece  of  crystal  fall,  and  it  smashed  to  bits  on  the 
floor,  as  if  to  punish  her  for  her  temerity. 

"  I  didn't  do  it,"  he  whispered,  and  then  they  both  had 
a  fit  of  laughter  that  was  simply  irresistible,  as  if  they 
were  scared  children  in  danger  of  a  whipping. 

All  their  cares  passed  away  in  a  flash.  How  happy 
they  were  in  their  joy  after  sorrow!  Both  had  given 
in,  both  were  victorious,  and  yet  neither  mother  nor 
country  had  been  given  up.  It  had  been  only  a  trial  of 
strength  of  will.  Difficult  it  would  be  to  say,  precisely 
what  had  been  achieved  by  either,  but  each  was  satisfied 
that  it  was  a  case  of  "  peace  with  honor." 

As  they  sat  there  enjoying  their  simple  meal,  Caspar 
was  as  joyful  as  if  he  were  supping  on  ambrosia. 


312  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

"  What  wonderful  glassware !  "  he  remarked.  "  Why, 
it  is  all  frosted  with  gold.  You  girls  are  pretty  grand  in 
your  tastes.  I  don't  know  how  you  are  going  to  stand 
it  with  me;  for  I  can  only  give  you  common-ware  to 
drink  out  of." 

Should  she  tell  him  now?  Should  she  speak  out  this 
very  minute  and  say,  "  Forgive  me,  Caspar,  but  I  have 
deceived  you  because  I  loved  you  so  —  and  I  was  afraid 
I  should  lose  you?  But  all  these  pretty  things  are  mine 
and  I  have  money  enough  to  make  us  both  comfortable 
at  the  beginning  of  our  lives  if  only  you  will  not  be  so 
proud  and  haughty  but  let  me  give  them  to  you  along 
with  myself." 

But  Caspar  hated  a  liar.  And  she  had  lied  and  lied 
to  him.  She  couldn't  do  it.  She  was  slowly  crumpling 
up  in  her  hand  the  long  list  she  had  prepared  of  require- 
ments to  be  made  of  Caspar  in  regard  to  the  freedom  she 
should  insist  upon  after  she  was  married  to  him.  She 
had  always  meant  to  retain  her  father's  name  and  not 
take  her  husband's,  but  what  was  the  use  of  starting  any 
more  difficulties. 

He  was  looking  at  her  troubled.  "  What  is  it, 
Diantha  ?  "  he  asked  taking  her  hand  gently  in  his  own. 

"  Oh,  just  a  feeling  about  you,  Caspar,  if  only  you 
were  not  so  hard-hearted  and  stern  and  terrible!  Sup- 
pose I  should  deceive  you  some  time.  I  couldn't  ever 
come  and  tell  you  about  it ! " 

"  Deceive  me  ?  "  he  echoed.  "  Why,  what  are  you  talk- 
ing about  ?  Why  should  you  deceive  me  ?  " 

"  No  reason  in  the  world,"  she  exclaimed,  "  only  if  — " 

"  Lord  of  Heavens,  what  an  imagination,"  said  Caspar, 


A  BATTLE  ROYAL  313 

pathetically,  "  you  actually  seem  to  enjoy  trying  to  make 
my  hair  stand  on  end." 

"  But  what  would  you  do  ?  "  she  insisted. 

"  Do  ?  "  he  looked  at  her  fixedly,  and  then  he  laughed 
scornfully.  "  Why,  I'd  tear  you  out  of  my  heart  forever. 
If  you  deceived  me  once  I  could  never  believe  you  again, 
could  I?" 

"  O  Caspar,"  she  cried,  "  I  don't  want  to  give  you 
up!" 

"  Then  why  in  Heaven's  name  are  you  talking  about 
it?  That's  just  like  a  woman  trying  to  drive  a  man  mad 
about  some  imaginary  thing  that  never  happened  and 
never  could  happen." 

"  Yes,  yes,  we  are  very  foolish  indeed,"  she  murmured, 
glad  of  her  escape  from  her  confession  even  by  so  slight 
a  margin. 

Caspar  was  trying  to  grasp  some  sort  of  reason  for  all 
this  talk.  "  Is  it  because  I  am  not  very  polite  to  the  girls 
and  prefer  to  talk  to  you  all  the  time,  that  you  have  got 
this  notion  in  your  head  that  I  am  hard-hearted?  Be- 
cause I  will  try  to  improve  in  that  if  it  will  give  you  any 
pleasure." 

She  heard  the  key  in  the  lock,  they  were  even  then 
returning. 

"  Yes,  Caspar,  do  try  to  be  as  polite  and  nice  to  them 
as  you  can.  I  want  them  to  like  you.  I  am  not  the 
foolish,  jealous  kind  that  would  keep  you  from  being 
agreeable  to  another  girl  than  myself.  And  I  want  them 
to  like  you  even  if  they  do  say  you  are  like  a  bear." 

But  she  knew  her  love  for  Caspar  was  turning  her  into 
a  coward. 


CHAPTER  XLII 

A   FLAMBOYANT  ROSE   OF   LOVE 

TT  was  easy  for  Caspar  to  talk  with  Colleen,  for  she 
-1  always  enjoyed  hearing  about  the  West.  "  But  you 
wouldn't  want  to  live  there  ?  "  he  asked  her. 

"Wouldn't  I?"  she  smiled  back  at  him. 

Then  he  and  Showery  had  a  little  conversation  about 
the  day  on  the  yacht.  Diantha  and  Colleen  retired  to 
the  next  room  to  discuss  the  ways  and  means  of  Pleiades 
Hall,  which  had  to  be  done  weekly.  Seddie  and  Anna, 
the  youthful,  soon  joined  in  and  Caspar  began  to  feel 
more  at  home  with  them  and  to  indulge  in  some  of  those 
quaint  quips  of  his  which  were  always  so  amusing. 

Miss  Lenore  sat  off  by  the  window  seemingly  not 
interested.  Caspar  was  obeying  instructions  and  trying 
to  be  attentive  for  Diantha's  sake,  but  this  one  girl  who 
remained  out  of  the  circle  bothered  him.  Perhaps  she 
was  the  very  one  who  thought  him  a  bear.  He  resolved 
to  set  himself  straight  with  her  if  possible,  nerved  up  by 
his  desire  to  prove  to  Diantha  that  he  was  not  hard- 
hearted. 

He  arose  in  a  natural  way  and  went  to  the  window 
where  she  sat  and  seeing  a  queer  sort  of  hanging  balus- 
trade of  iron  outside,  demanded  to  know  what  it  was 
called. 

314 


A  FLAMBOYANT  ROSE  OF  LOVE  315 

"  Don't  you  know  ?  "  she  replied  pertly.  "  Why,  it's 
a  fire-escape/' 

"  So  it  is,"  he  returned  quickly.  "  I  thought  it  was 
an  aviary  for  girls." 

There  was  a  general  laugh  went  up  at  this  bit  of 
pleasantry. 

Gene  decided  that  he  was  rather  nice.  She  found 
herself  admiring  the  dark-blue  of  his  eyes,  the  heavy 
eyebrows,  and  the  unruly  mop  of  hair.  As  for  his 
features,  they  were  not  really  perfect,  but  his  smile  made 
one  forget  that.  Gene  wanted  to  see  if  he  were  stuffed 
with  sawdust  or  red  blood. 

She  began  talking  about  Diantha  to  him,  and  he  was 
charmed,  in  his  ingenuous  way,  concealing  nothing. 

In  answer  to  something  she  said,  Caspar  spoke  most 
confidently.  "Of  course  I  do,  she  is  so  clever,  so  beauti- 
ful and  so  good,  don't  you  think  so?  " 

Gene  was  taken  by  surprise  at  this  almost  shameless 
avowal  of  his  admiration  for  the  girl  he  was  to  marry. 
It  was  so  unconventional.  He  should  have  been  more 
civilized,  more  like  the  highly  evolved  Chinese,  who  cast 
aspersions  upon  themselves  and  their  families  in  answer 
to  such  questions. 

"Oh,  I  don't  know,"  she  returned,  "Diantha  is  a 
splendid  girl,  and  as  good  as  gold,  but  it  has  never 
occurred  to  any  of  us,  I  am  sure,  that  she  was  beautiful. 
She  has  lovely  hair,  and  is  always  so  scrubbed  that  she 
has  the  cleanest  skin  I  ever  saw,  but  as  for  being 
beautiful—" 

Caspar  saw  that  he  must  do  better  than  that  if  he 


316  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

hoped  to  make  a  good  impression  on  Miss  Lenore.  He 
bent  over  with  his  most  dazzling  smile  and  said,  "  Of 
course  you  all  are  so  clever  and  so  beautiful  and  so  good 
that  you  could  hardly  be  expected  to  see  these  virtues  in 
each  other.  It  takes  an  outsider  to  see  these  things." 

Gene  was  startled,  as  if  a  bomb  had  gone  off  at  her 
feet,  but  she  contained  herself  and  only  said,  "  Oh,  you 
must  have  committed  that  compliment  to  memory  to 
get  it  off  so  pat !  " 

"  On  the  contrary,"  said  he,  still  smiling,  "  I  assure 
you  it  was  entirely  sporadic." 

Gene  waked  up.  Here  was  a  foeman  worthy  of  her 
steel  and  she  began  to  scintillate  for  his  benefit  with  all 
the  witty  things  at  her  tongue's  end. 

"  What  do  you  mean  by  sporadic  ?  "  she  asked  comic- 
ally, and  went  on  to  define  what  she  thought  was  the 
derivation  of  the  word. 

"  Oh,  I  don't  know,"  he  returned,  cornered,  "  I  think 
I  must  have  meant  *  spontaneous '  only  you  scared  me 
out  of  it."  At  this  they  all  laughed  heartily. 

Under  the  influence  of  such  a  moment,  one's  brain- 
cells  become  superlatively  aroused,  with  jibe  following 
jibe,  and  jest  following  jest,  till  the  stimulation  of  cere- 
bration acts  like  mental  champagne  on  the  senses. 

It  became  parry-and-thrust  till  the  other  girls  became 
mute  with  astonishment.  Presently  before  their  very 
eyes,  there  was  Gene  pinning  a  rose  in  Caspar's  button- 
hole as  freely  as  if  he  had  been  her  own  cavalier. 

Looking  at  his  watch,  suddenly,  Caspar  announced  he 
must  go  and  would  they  tell  Diantha. 

Gene  went  at  once  with  the  message,  and  added  to  it, 


A  FLAMBOYANT  ROSE  OF  LOVE  317 

"  I  take  back  all  I  said,  last  night,  Marchie.  I  think 
your  Caspar  is  a  pearl  of  great  price  and  you  are  a  lucky 
girl  to  have  found  him." 

Diantha  returned  to  the  front  room  to  say  good  night, 
much  pleased  at  this  amend  of  Gene's.  But  when  she 
stood  at  the  door  and  saw  the  strange  ornament  decking 
the  lapel  of  her  lover,  she  was  rilled  with  the  most  pecul- 
iar sensation.  Who  had  dared  to  take  such  a  liberty 
as  this  with  her  Caspar?  Who  had  dared  to  poach  on 
her  domain? 

She  stepped  out  into  the  hall  with  him  and  closed  fhe 
door  behind  them. 

"  Whose  rose  is  that  ?  "  she  demanded. 

Caspar  looked  down  at  the  flower  and  then  at  her. 
"  I  suppose  it  must  be  —  mine,"  he  said,  awkwardly. 

For  reply  Diantha  snatched  out  the  offending  blossom, 
flung  it  on  the  floor  and  crushed  it  beneath  her  foot. 
Caspar  looked  at  her  in  amazement. 

"  Who  gave  you  that  ?  "  she  asked. 

"  Why,  it  was  the  one  with  the  dark  eyebrows  and 
the  pointed  chin  —  and  the  gray  wig,  I  thought  you  would 
be  so  pleased/'  he  said,  lost  in  wonder  at  her  unaccount- 
able mood. 

"  Oh ! "  was  all  she  could  say,  out  of  the  tumult  of 
what  she  felt. 

Then  she  led  the  way  to  the  roof  and  when  they  stood 
there  in  the  pleasant  air,  under  the  stars,  on  the  top 
of  the  great  city,  she  felt  herself  grow  calmer. 

But  Caspar  was  still  in  a  daze  over  it  all.  "  I  thought 
you  would  be  so  pleased,"  he  repeated. 

"  So  I  should  if  it  had  been  Colleen,"  she  explained, 


318  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

"  because  Colleen  has  a  true  affection  for  you,  but  that 
Gene  Lenore  —  O  Caspar,  you  are  not  to  think  I  am 
jealous,  nothing  is  farther  from  my  thoughts — " 

"  Well,  it  must  be  my  fault,  then,  for  that  one  was  not 
in  the  circle,  at  all,"  said  he,  his  sense  of  justice  making 
him  come  to  the  defense  of  Miss  Lenore,  "  and  I  wanted 
her  to  pay  some  attention  to  me,  because  I  thought  it 
would  please  you,  and  I  made  her." 

"  '  You  —  made  —  her/  "  Diantha  echoed,  scarcely  be- 
lieving the  words. 

"  Yes,"  said  he  ingenuously,  "  all  of  them  but  that  one 
were  joining  in  as  nice  as  could  be,  all  but  that  one, 
and  she  sat  off  so  disdainful-like  that  I  just  made  up 
my  mind  that  I  would  make  her  come  in,  and  I  did ! " 

He  seemed  proud  of  his  achievement  instead  of  being 
abashed. 

It  was  Diantha's  turn  to  be  amazed.  "  '  Come  in,  with 
a  vengeance  — "  she  murmured.  "  Why,  Caspar !  I  am 
afraid  you  are  like  other  men  after  all ! " 

His  head  went  back  as  if  he  had  been  struck.  And  he 
struck  back  at  her  in  kind.  "  And  I  am  afraid  you  are 
like  other  women,"  he  responded,  quickly,  "  utterly  in- 
comprehensible, utterly  inconsistent  and  utterly  in- 
corrigible." 

"  I  don't  see  why  you  say  that,"  she  gasped,  "  what 
have  I  done  ?  " 

He  looked  off  at  the  great  light-crowned  roofs  about 
them,  the  starry  canopy  above,  and  tugged  at  a  lock  of 
his  hair  as  if  he  meant  to  pull  it  out  by  the  roots.  "  I 
could  be  so  happy  — "  he  murmured  — "  what  is  the  use 
of  bedeviling  a  poor  fellow  so  all  the  time  ?  " 


A  FLAMBOYANT  ROSE  OF  LOVE  319 

It  was  thus  they  parted.  Caspar  went  on  his  way, 
perplexed  out  of  his  five  senses,  but  Diantha  with  flam- 
ing eyes  determined  to  punish  Gene  Lenore  for  daring 
to  come  between  herself  and  her  Caspar. 

As  she  came  down  the  stairs  she  was  surprised  to  see 
Colleen  there,  kneeling  down  and  gathering  something 
up  from  the  floor.  She  met  her  gaze  as  serenely  as  ever, 
but  said  it  looked  so  untidy  to  have  those  crushed  flowers 
lying  all  about  the  hall.  And  Diantha  wondered  if 
Colleen  knew  it  was  Gene's  rose,  which  had  been  so 
flamboyant  over  Caspar's  heart,  that  now  was  lying  all 
crumpled  up  in  the  palm  of  her  hand. 


CHAPTER  XLIII 

DIANTHA    MAKES   GENE   SUFFER 

TOGETHER  they  entered  the  door,  silently.  Col- 
leen seemed  to  know  that  she,  Diantha,  was 
laboring  under  a  great  excitement,  and  urged  her  to  lie 
down  on  the  couch  and  rest  her  back.  That  was 
Colleen's  soothing  way.  Amidst  the  pillows  Diantha 
placed  herself  as  bidden  and  gazed  upon  the  bevy  of  girls 
still  discussing  the  book  that  maintained  that  "  only  luna- 
tics married  for  love." 

Diantha's  sense  of  justice  was  great.  She  knew  she 
would  not  have  placed  a  rose  of  love  upon  the  heart  of 
Gene's  betrothed,  he  would  have  been  as  sacred  to  her  as 
a  brother.  Then  why  should  Gene  have  been  so  flippant 
and  familiar  with  the  man  she  had  chosen  from  all  the 
world  ?  It  was  not  nice,  and  it  was  not  pretty,  and  Gene 
should  be  made  to  feel  how  lacking  she  appeared  to  be 
in  good  taste. 

Her  elemental  nature  was  stirred  to  its  depths.  Had 
she  been  an  Oriental  whose  lover  was  to  be  snatched 
away  by  the  wiles  of  a  rival,  her  rage  would  have  been 
expressed  in  tragedy.  But  she  was  from  the  line  of 
latitude  where  the  eternal  snows  give  a  power  of  endur- 
ance, and  one  of  a  race,  to  whom  comes  as  a  birthright, 
the  gift  of  using 

"That  sarcasm  that  brings  a  winter  to  the  heart." 
320 


DIANTHA  MAKES  GENE  SUFFER          321 

When  the  girls  asked  her  for  her  opinion  on  the  burn- 
ing subject  of  the  book,  she  announced  that  more  serious 
things  were  occupying  her  attention,  and  presently  the 
volume  slipped  from  Gene's  grasp  and  fell  to  the  floor 
forgotten,  as  Diantha  went  on  to  explain  that  sometimes 
people  stood  on  the  verge  of  a  yawning  chasm,  right  at 
their  very  feet,  and  laughed  and  chatted  frivolously,  as 
if  they  were  apes,  instead  of  being  human  beings  with 
immortal  souls. 

"  The  most  of  people,  especially  thoughtless  girls,  are 
apes  more  or  less,"  she  said  somberly,  and  then  to  ac- 
centuate her  point,  she  quoted, 

"'Mindless  they  live,  and  mindless  they  love, 
And  mindless  they  die.'" 

"  Good  gracious ! "  cried  Showery,  who  was  very 
nervous  from  her  temperament,  and  could  not  bear  much, 
"  don't  keep  us  in  suspense !  What  is  it  ?  " 

"  Well,  whatever  we  are,  we  are  not  like  that,"  said 
Gene,  resolutely. 

"  Girls,"  exclaimed  Diantha,  sitting  up  suddenly,  and 
facing  them  with  her  eyes  darkening  from  the  restrained 
passion  of  resentment  behind  them,  "  did  you  know  that 
a  mysterious  change  has  been  coming  over  us,  each  and 
all,  since  we  left  our  homes  and  came  to  dwell  here  in 
New  York  City  ?  That  we  have  become  permeated  with 
its  customs  and  habits,  until  we  are  like  pickles  in  brine 
or  sardines  in  oil  ?  " 

In  the  midst  of  her  alarm,  Colleen  took  heart.  She 
had  heard  something  like  this  before,  and  it  did  not  seem 
so  very  terrible  after  all.  Doubtless  it  was  only  one  of 
Diantha's  pet  hobbies  she  was  exploiting. 


322  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

"That's  so  we  will  keep,"  returned  Gene,  "we  don't 
want  to  be  too  fresh,  or  we'll  spoil/' 

Anna  laughed  in  spite  of  herself,  and  Seddie  shrugged 
her  shoulders.  If  that  was  all  that  worried  Diantha, 
it  wasn't  worth  mentioning. 

A  little  fire  blazed  in  Diantha's  eyes,  and  the  red  came 
rushing  into  her  cheek.  "  Well,  girls,  I  want  to  tell  you 
that  you  don't  realize  you  are  standing  on  the  verge  of 
a  yawning-  chasm,  and  that  you  don't  know  any  more 
about  it  than  if  you  were  so  many  blind  apes.  Don't 
you  feel  a  difference?  Don't  you  know  that  something 
has  happened  to  you?  Can't  you  realize  that  you  have 
lost  something  —  your  native  innocence  —  your  pristine 
glory  —  your  halo  of  beauty?" 

"  What's  bothering  you  ?  "  demurred  Gene,  who  was 
the  only  one  who  was  not  too  dumbfounded  to  speak. 
"  What  are  you  trying  to  get  at  ?  " 

Seddie  picked  up  the  fallen  book,  opened  it  and  began 
making  a  sketch  of  a  girl  in  a  sunbonnet  stepping  along 
on  her  toes,  and  trying  to  reach  a  little  circlet  in  the  air, 
above  her  head,  at  which  Anna  smiled  in  spite  of  her- 
self. Gene  put  her  hand  to  her  wig  and  pretended  to 
pull  her  imaginary  halo  on  straight. 

"  Well,  I  see  I  shall  have  to  speak  plainly,"  said 
Diantha,  annoyed  by  this  lack  of  seriousness.  "  You, 
all,  with  the  exception  of  Anna,  once  knew  the  poor 
being  whom  we  now  refer  to  as,  '  The  Lost  Pleiad.' 
Her  ways  are  not  our  ways  and  her  manners  are  not  our 
manners.  And  yet  can't  you  remember  when  first  Ray 
came  to  make  her  home  with  us,  what  a  sweet  nice  girl 
she  was,  before  she  became  frivolous  and  went  mad 


DIANTHA  MAKES  GENE  SUFFER  323 

taking  on  the  ways  and  customs  of  the  city?  I  haven't 
had  time  to  tell  you  of  my  meeting  with  her  yesterday. 
And  I  don't  believe  I  ever  can  tell  you  all  of  it  — 
she  has  fallen  so  low,"  but  in  a  few  quick  words  she  told 
what  had  happened  and  described  the  "  companion  to 
dolphins  "  coming  up  out  of  the  sea,  and  the  jibe  she 
had  flung  at  her  as  she  passed  on  her  flaunting  way. 

The  girls  became  hushed. 

"And  going  into  galloping  consumption,  too,"  mur- 
mured Showery,  piteously. 

"  We  feel  horrified  at  her,"  continued  Diantha,  "  but 
if  we  only  knew  it  we  could  be  horrified  at  ourselves  for 
the  changes  that  have  come  over  us.  Admit  it,  Gene," 
she  said  pointedly,  "  don't  you  do  things  now,  you  would 
have  blushed  to  do  when  first  you  came  ?  " 

"  Well,  we  have  to  adapt  ourselves  to  our  environment, 
if  we  hope  to  survive,"  returned  Gene,  "  and  you  know 
that's  the  problem  here." 

"  The  same  as  everywhere,"  said  Seddie  nonchalantly, 
making  a  comical  cartoon  of  an  ape  alongside  the  girl, 
laughing  at  her. 

"  That's  just  it,"  began  Diantha,  afresh,  "  but  surely 
you  must  realize  it  is  the  sensible  who  survive,  and  the 
foolish  who  perish.  Isn't  that  the  law  of  life?  Don't 
we  want  to  be  the  wise  virgins  who  survive?  Of 
course  we  do.  That's  why  I  am  trying  to  make  the  thing 
plain  to  you.  We  don't  want  to  be  apes  nor  mindless 
beings." 

"  Of  course  not,"  murmured  Seddie. 

Diantha  went  on.  "  Look  at  the  thousands  of  poor 
ambitious  girls  who  come  to  New  York  to  accomplish 


324  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

something  in  art,  music,  journalism,  business  of  all  kinds, 
who  are  the  ones  that  are  going  to  survive?  Not  the 
weakminded  ones  who  are  frivolous  and  giddy  and  easily 
lured  by  the  glitter  of  the  city!  No,  it  is  the  one  who 
sticks  to  business,  every  time." 

"  I  am  sure  you  have  a  right  to  speak,"  said  Colleen 
gently. 

"  If  it  hadn't  been  for  my  illness,"  began  Showery, 
her  eyes  wet  with  self -despair. 

"  How  can  you  go  on,  harrowing  us  up  this  way," 
spoke  Gene,  with  a  cloud  on  her  brow.  "  What  object 
have  you  in  it?  I  can't  make  you  out  to-night," 

"  If  we  all  had  perfect  health  as  you  have,"  said 
Seddie,  "  it  would  be  different.  But  what  can  you  ex- 
pect of  the  rest  of  us?  we've  each  had  to  take  our  turn 
in  the  hospital." 

"  Except  Anna,"  corrected  Colleen. 

"  Oh,  she'll  be  there  in  time,  if  she  stays  here,"  said 
Seddie,  nonchalantly. 

Diantha  arose  and  with  outstretched  arms  of  inquiry, 
asked,  "  But  is  that  any  excuse,  being  in  the  hospital  or 
not,  why  we  should  forget  to  be  ladies  ?  Why  we  should 
descend  to  the  lower  levels  of  the  common  horde  of 
human  animals  about  us?  Why  we  should  allow  our- 
selves to  get  slangy,  and  tough,  and  as  hard  as  nails  ?  " 

"  Who  is  all  this,  I'd  like  to  know  ?  "  asked  Gene,  with 
an  injured  air. 

"  Why,  all  of  us,"  returned  Diantha  with  a  sweep 
of  her  hand.  "  Are  we  the  same  as  when  we  came,  fresh 
from  our  homes  and  our  mothers?  Of  course  not. 
Don't  we  all  go  to  the  roof-garden  without  a  qualm 


DIANTHA  MAKES  GENE  SUFFER  325 

or  a  shiver?  Don't  we  stand  double-entendres  in  the 
plays  as  if  we  were  club  men?  How  can  we  be  the 
same?  Yet  even  though  we  may  be  hardened  in  these 
ways,  I  do  think  we  might  preserve  a  few  things ! " 

"  Meaning  what  ?  "  asked  Miss  Lenore,  in  a  discon- 
tented tone. 

Diantha  knew  she  was  trying  to  pierce  Gene's  armor 
of  complacency,  while  flailing  her  over  the  shoulders  of 
the  others.  But  she  could  accomplish  her  purpose,  which 
was  to  try  to  bring  Gene  to  a  comprehension  of  her  lack 
of  good  taste,  without  revealing  her  inner  resentment 
personally. 

"  Our  ladylike  manners  —  our  sense  of  good  taste  — 
our  English,"  she  responded.  "  Conversation  can  be 
carried  on  nowadays  by  saying  everything  is  '  fierce ' 
or  else  by  telling  every  one  '  You  go  way  back  and 
sit  down '  or  replying,  '  That's  right,'  even  when  it  is 
wrong." 

"  O  Marchie,"  demurred  Seddie,  "  that  was  last 
year." 

"  Where  are  the  roses  of  yesterday,"  quoted  Diantha 
— "  what  kind  of  speech  is  it  that's  out  of  date  in  a 
year?" 

At  last  Gene  did  lose  some  of  her  self-complacency. 
"  I  know  it  is  a  bad  habit  to  use  bad  English,"  she  said, 
crestfallen,  "  and  particularly  for  me  —  with  my  aspira- 
tions to  be  literary.  I  know  it's  wrong,  and  I  ought  to 
do  better.  But  then,  we  all  do  it,  even  you,  Marchie,  you 
sling  some  of  the  queerest  slang  I  ever  heard." 

"I?  sling  slang? "  repeated  Diantha.  "  Well,  if  I  do, 
I  hope  you  will  call  me  to  order !  I  know  sometimes  it  is 


326  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

almost  impossible  to  get  along  without  saying  these 
things  for  emphasis  —  but  I  should  like  you  to  tell 
me  what  it  is  I  say  that  sounds  slang  to  you,  for  in- 
stance — " 

"  You  came  here  to  New  York,  Marchie,  with  home- 
spun slang  of  your  own,"  insisted  Gene.  "  When  you 
were  tired  you  said  you  were  '  donsie/  and  when  we 
used  to  be  too  full  of  high  spirits  you  used  to  tell  us 
not  to  be  so  '  glee-geenish/  and  a  few  more  like  those." 

At  the  sound  of  those  familiar  home-words,  Diantha 
almost  relented.  "  I  learned  those  from  my  dear  old 
grandmother,"  she  said  gently.  "  They  are  Scotch  and 
Irish  words,  very  ancient  and  not  born  yesterday.  But 
I  am  glad  you  spoke  of  this,  for  I  want  to  keep  guard 
on  my  speech  just  as  much  as  if  I  had  the  literary 
aspirations  you  have,  Gene." 

"  I  admit  that  you  are  right  on  a  great  many  things," 
responded  Gene,  "  and  this  is  a  very  important  matter 
to  me,  for  I  do  want  to  make  a  success  of  my  writing." 
Then  a  worried  look  crept  over  her  face.  "  But  what 
in  the  world  ever  started  you  on  such  a  tirade, 
Marchie  ?  "  she  continued.  "  Haven't  we  got  troubles 
enough  of  our  own  at  the  present  time,  that  you  should 
get  us  all  worked  up  so  over  the  preservation  of  our 
English?" 

For  Gene  with  all  her  attempts  to  assume  a  stolid 
exterior  was  abnormally  sensitive  to  criticism,  and  in- 
stinctively felt  the  full  force  of  those  fierce  currents 
of  disapproval  emanating  from  Diantha's  self. 

"  English  ?  "  repeated  Seddie.  "  It  was  manners  and 
morals,  at  first !  " 


DIANTHA  MAKES  GENE  SUFFER  327 

"  Yes,"  joined  in  Showery,  timidly,  "  you  said  we 
were  forgetting  to  be  ladies." 

"  And  something  about  our  being  as  '  hard  as  nails/  " 
suggested  Colleen. 

"  And  something  about  our  getting  as  horrified  at  our- 
selves as  we  do  at — the — '  Lost  Pleiad/  "  murmured 
Anna,  faintly. 

Diantha  was  sorry  she  had  said  so  much.  She  tried 
to  hedge  as  usual,  by  changing  the  subject,  but  the  chorus 
demanded  to  know  where  she  had  gotten  such  ideas. 
They  accused  and  shamed  her  for  her  unkindness,  till  at 
last  she  was  forced  to  defend  herself.  "  It  was  some- 
one else  who  suggested  it,"  she  admitted  reluctantly. 

"  Not  Caspar  ?  "  asked  Colleen,  intuitively. 

"  Well,  we  girls  may  as  well  face  the  truth,"  she 
said,  meditatively.  "  He  comes  here  to  the  city  with  a 
virginal  mind.  He  sees  things  as  we  did  when  we  first 
came.  He  is  horrified  at  the  sight  of  the  men  and 
women  going  in  bathing  together  in  all  their  freedom, 
at  the  coarse  songs  at  the  roof-garden,  at  our  being  so 
hardened  to  all  these  things." 

"  Did  he  say  he  thought  we  were  hardened  ?  And 
tough?  And  slangy?"  asked  Gene,  suddenly,  in  a  sur- 
prised voice. 

"  Not  in  those  words,  exactly,"  said  Diantha,  not  able 
to  resist  the  temptation  of  giving  Gene  at  least  one  little 
pang  in  return  for  that  rose-of-love  frivolity  of  hers, 
"  he  intimated  it,  however." 

"  I  like  that ! "  said  Gene  with  a  scornful  smile. 
"  What  was  it  Miss  Quincy  said,  the  other  night,  to 
you,  Colleen,  about  the  men  ? " 


328  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

"  Men  are  deceivers  ever,"  said  Colleen  with  a  sigh, 
as  if  it  all  were  too  much  for  her  to  understand. 

"  Well,  all  I  have  got  to  say,  Marchie,  is  that  your 
precious  Caspar  is  as  big  a  villain  as  any  of  the  men !  " 
said  Gene,  indignantly.  "  Why,  right  here  to-night,  to 
my  face,  he  had  the  cheek  to  tell  me  he  thought  me  'So 
clever,  so  beautiful  and  so  good ! '  I  leave  it  to  you  if 
he  must  not  be  a  hypocrite  to  talk  like  that." 

Diantha  listened  in  amazement.  She  had  not  bar- 
gained for  this  —  that  her  Caspar  should  have  uttered 
to  another  the  precious  flattery  he  had  invented  for  her- 
self, Diantha  March!  How  could  it  have  happened? 
Gene  had  piqued  him,  and  in  his  embarrassment  and 
determination  "  to  make  her  pay  attention  to  him,"  he 
had  unconsciously  used  the  words  sacred  to  herself. 
But  it  would  never  do  to  let  the  girls  know  she  had  been 
taken  by  surprise.  They  must  not  suspect  her  conster- 
nation at  this  statement  of  Gene's.  She  would  contrive 
a  way  out  of  the  difficulty  by  which  she  should  show  her 
perfect  confidence  in  Caspar,  and  remove  from  him  all 
blame. 

"  I'm  sorry,  Gene,  you  should  feel  like  that,"  she  said 
sympathetically.  "  But  I  wanted  you  all  to  like  him  so 
that  I  begged  him  to  be  nice  and  to  say  all  the  pretty 
things  he  could  think  up,  so  you  see  he  only  said  that  be- 
cause I  persuaded  him  to  say  it." 

The  "  winter "  of  Gene's  heart  was  complete,  and 
Diantha  was  avenged. 


OF   THE 

UNIVERSITY 

OF 


CHAPTER  XLIV 

DIANTHA    WAKES    FROM    A    DREAM 

/TAHE  next  day  at  the  office,  Everton  looked  long 
-*•  and  steadily  into  Diantha's  eyes,  seemingly  trying 
to  settle  a  very  perplexing  question.  They  had  been  hav- 
ing a  long  talk  about  the  three  children,  the  planning 
of  whose  future  old  Lockwood  was  entrusting  to  their 
care.  The  boy  was  to  go  to  public  school  for  a  year 
longer  and  then  serve  as  an  office  boy  until  his  stern  rela- 
tive could  see  what  he  was  "  good  for." 

"  He  seems  a  wiry  sort  of  a  little  chap,"  said  Mr. 
Everton,  "  but  needs  considerable  feeding  up,  I'm  think- 
ing. I  don't  deny  that  my  heart  is  pretty  tough  on  some 
propositions,  but  there  is  one  thing  I  can't  stand,  and 
that  is  to  think  of  little  children  going  hungry." 

Diantha  felt  a  sympathetic  response  coming  to  her  lips, 
but  she  checked  herself.  "  It's  going  to  be  an  awful 
responsibility,"  she  said  with  decision.  "  I'm  afraid  that 
poor  woman  isn't  going  to  last  long,  and  that  the  old  man 
is  going  to  be  grinding  with  them  I  can  see.  I'm  terribly 
afraid  we  shall  have  to  be  father  and  mother  to  those 
children." 

Stanley  Everton  gave  a  sudden  start,  then  restrained 
himself. 

"  Very  likely,"  he  murmured. 

Diantha  seemed  in  a  brown  study,  she  was  looking 

329 


330  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

at  him  and  yet  with  unseeing  eyes.  "  Do  you  know, 
Mr.  Everton,  you  are  awfully  good  to  have  taken  so 
much  trouble  for  that  family?  But  then,  it  is  just  like 
you.  You  are  always  doing  something  generous  for 
somebody."  Then  her  voice  lowered  and  she  spoke  in 
a  half-shy,  half-unwilling  sort  of  way,  with  downcast 
eyes.  "  Do  you  know,  I  have  a  question  I  should  like 
to  ask  you,  if  only  I  could  put  it  just  right." 

With  some  curiosity,  he  bade  her  go  ahead. 

"  It  is  not  easy,"  she  said,  still  hesitating.  "  It  is 
only  this,  don't  you  think  Colleen  is  a  fine  girl  ?  " 

He  agreed  that  he  did. 

She  went  on  eagerly.  "  But  you  don't  know  the  half 
of  her  good  qualities.  She  is  an  exceptional  girl,  so 
serene,  so  reliable,  such  a  comfort  in  every  way.  I 
have  been  thinking  it  over,"  she  continued,  slowly,  "  and 
it  seems  to  me  that  it  would  be  the  loveliest  thing  in 
the  world  if  only  you  and  Colleen  would  take  a  fancy  to 
each  other.  But  I  suppose  it  is  too  good  to  be  true," 
and  she  sighed. 

Stanley  looked  her  steadily  in  the  eyes  as  he  replied, 
"  Colleen  is  a  fine  girl,  and  I  love  her  as  I  would  a  sister, 
but  when  a  man  has  chosen  the  goddess,  he  is  not  likely 
to  be  satisfied  with  one  of  her  maidens." 

"  It  seems  such  a  pity,"  she  murmured  as  if  she  had 
not  heard  the  last  part  of  his  remark. 

There  was  a  tremendous  stirring  of  feeling  of  emo- 
tion within  his  heart,  but  he  held  it  in  check  and  said 
only,  "  What  is  such  a  pity  ?  " 

"  Oh,  that  we  can't  have  you  in  the  family,"  she  re- 
turned, musingly.  "  Colleen  is  the  only  one  that  would 


DIANTHA  WAKES  FROM  A  DREAM  331 

suit  you,  because  she  is  homelike  and  so  reasonable,  she 
is  a  sort  of  little  mother  to  us  all,  you  know ;  and  is  the 
center  around  which  our  small  universe  is  hung.  She  is 
the  only  one  of  us  who  has  remained  unaffected  by  our 
sojourn  in  the  city.  She  is  just  as  sweet  and  just  as 
simple  as  the  day  she  came.  Of  course,  she  has  a  will 
of  her  own,  I  must  admit  that,  she  is  like  a  rock  when 
she  makes  up  her  mind." 

"  Any  more  than  you  ?  "  broke  in  Stanley. 

"  Yes,"  she  replied,  apparently  not  at  all  disturbed. 
"  I  really  think  she  is,  but  never  over  trifles,  fortunately. 
If  I  were  a  man,  Colleen  would  be  my  choice  of  all  the 
girls  I  have  ever  known."  She  said  this  with  an  air  of 
finality  as  if  she  had  proved  her  case. 

"  I  won't  take  it  under  consideration  for  an  instant  — " 
said  he  abruptly.  He  turned  on  his  heel  suddenly  and 
walked  to  the  door  for  the  street,  hatless  as  he  was. 
But  when  he  got  there  he  placed  his  hand  to  his  head, 
discovered  his  lack,  hesitated  a  moment,  and  then  more 
slowly  returned  to  Diantha's  desk. 

She  was  startled  out  of  all  calmness,  and  met  his 
gaze  wonderingly. 

He  took  up  his  hat,  gave  her  another  intense  look  and 
departed. 

She  turned  the  leaf  of  her  ledger  but  nothing  could 
she  see  on  the  page  before  her.  It  might  have  been  a 
blank  for  all  it  conveyed  to  her  brain.  She  sighed  and 
murmured  discontentedly,  "  Oh,  dear,  dear,  dear !  " 

That  chance  speech  of  his  about  being  aware  he  had 
a  tough  heart,  but  that  he  could  not  bear  to  think  of  little 
children  going  hungry,  had  affected  her  poignantly.  That 


332  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

was  the  way  she  felt,  too.  The  movement  suggested 
by  the  new  philanthropy  in  the  direction  of  reform,  that 
if  children  were  made  happy  they  would  be  good,  was 
very  near  her  heart. 

She  was  built  on  a  large  plan,  her  mind  was  progres- 
sive. Her  habit  was  to  think  of  these  things  constantly. 
She  could  feel  that  her  powers  for  reaching  out  and 
benefiting  the  many,  were  fully  developed  and  equal 
to  tremendous  strain.  By  force  of  this  habit  of  hers, 
she  was  the  potential  manager  of  the  fates  of  those  who 
could  not  manage  wisely  for  themselves. 

She  knew,  she  perceived  in  a  flash  what  others  could 
not  know,  nor  perceive,  by  any  amount  of  brain-cudgel- 
ling. And  having  this  faculty,  so  highly  evolved  as  if 
for  a  purpose,  it  was  naturally  a  pleasure  to  her  to  exer- 
cise it,  just  as  a  man  with  big  muscle  naturally  loves  to 
roll  up  his  sleeves  and  double  up  his  arm  and  flex  the 
biceps  and  gaze  on  the  tense  muscles.  That,  men  can 
understand.  The  other  is  an  invisible  power,  is  not  to 
be  detected  even  by  the  aid  of  a  microscope,  yet  it  is  a 
more  potent  factor  in  the  great  movements  of  the  world's 
history  by  far  than  the  mere  brute  force  of  the  world. 

It  is  delicate,  as  is  the  hairspring  of  a  watch,  it  is 
tremendous  as  are  the  stamps  of  a  quartz-mill. 

While  that  page  remained  blank  before  her,  Diantha 
saw  reforms  being  inaugurated  in  the  great  city,  so  that 
little  children  should  not  suffer  from  the  grinding  of 
the  man-made  machine,  as  it  went  on  its  way  relentlessly 
and  remorselessly.  She  saw  future  generations  arising 
redeemed  by  the  reforms  of  the  present,  by  means  of 
which  the  fountain-source  should  be  kept  clean  and  pure. 


DIANTHA  WAKES  FROM  A  DREAM  333 

She  was  not  altogether  an  idealist,  she  knew  stringent 
methods  would  be  necessary  to  hold  back  the  degenerate 
from  muddying  the  stream  with  more  of  their  kind,  to 
keep  bad  breeds  from  perpetuating  themselves  at  the  ex- 
pense of  the  breeds  that  were  worth  while. 

She  herself  would  speak  to  women,  face  to  face,  to 
try  to  urge  upon  them  the  awful  responsibility  which  was 
theirs,  to  keep  themselves  pure  and  wholesome  and  holy, 
refusing  to  mate  with  the  mere  animal-man  without  char- 
acter or  calibre,  and  choosing  instead  the  finer  and  better 
qualities  of  man  for  their  ideals,  in  guardianship  of  the 
mighty  power  entrusted  to  them  in  their  potential  moth- 
erhood. 

This  of  itself  would  make  for  a  magnificent  beatifica- 
tion of  the  world.  Not  at  once  could  anything  be  ac- 
complished, but  little  by  little,  these  ideas  could  be  dis- 
seminated, until  gentle  reforms  could  be  set  in  motion, 
so  that  eventually  people  would  be  educated  to  the  neces- 
sity for  common-sense  methods  of  controlling  the  kind 
of  population  to  be  produced,  so  that  it  would  result  in 
making  good  citizens,  instead  of  criminals  to  occupy  the 
prisons,  lunatics  to  fill  the  asylums,  and  the  rest  of  the 
population,  mostly  a  lot  of  brainless  sheep  following  the 
bell-call  of  civilization  in  a  mad  rush  and  panic  for 
wealth  and  death. 

Even  a  faint  nebulae  began  to  wreathe  itself  into  form 
in  her  brain  that  possibly  men  and  women  might  be 
taught  that  there  was  a  simpler  way  of  living,  so  as  to  do 
away  with  the  insensate  needs,  those  terrible  needs  which 
drove  them  to  crime  in  order  to  indulge  in  these  will-'o- 
the-wisps  of  civilization.  Then  life  would  be  worth  liv- 


334  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

ing.  Then  there  would  be  enough  for  all  without  grind- 
ing, then  the  little  children  would  be  happy  and  good, — 

A  messenger-boy  came  in  with  a  lot  of  clatter  and 
laid  a  letter  on  her  desk.  Slowly  she  came  to,  recov- 
ered her  senses,  from  her  dreams  and  visions  and  saw 
herself  sitting  at  her  desk  —  a  bookkeeper,  merely,  and 
with  no  power  to  carry  out  so  much  as  an  iota  of  one  of 
her  desires. 

She  read  the  letter  twice  before  she  could  get  the 
sense  of  it. 

She  laid  it  down  listlessly.  It  was  an  invitation  from 
Mrs.  Josh  for  her  to  bring  the  girls  and  their  escorts  to 
a  social  dance  to  be  given  by  friends  of  hers  at  a  hotel 
on  Staten  Island. 

So  deeply  had  she  been  absorbed  in  her  dream  that 
she  could  not  at  once  shake  it  off.  Then  as  she  realized 
the  necessity  for  a  reply  to  this  note,  slowly  she  read 
once  more  the  contents.  The  word  "  escorts  "  gave  her 
pause.  Suddenly  she  remembered  Caspar  as  if  he  had 
returned  from  a  year's  journey.  Caspar? 

She  took  a  full  breath.  Her  vision  faded  suddenly  as 
if  the  night  had  swallowed  it  up.  She  could  hear  him 
speaking  in  his  confident  way,  "  All  people  want  is  to 
be  let  alone." 

She  came  back  to  the  present  with  a  rush,  hurriedly 
wrote  a  reply  and  sent  it  off  by  the  office  boy.  Her 
ledger  became  visible  to  her,  and  she  went  back  to  her 
work. 


CHAPTER  XLV 


A  N  hour  later,  when  Stanley  had  returned,  Diantha 
•*•  ^*  put  the  note  in  his  hand  and  asked  him  if  he  cared 
for  things  like  that,  and  "going  with  a  gang"?  He 
seemed  amused  and  said  he  did  sometimes.  She  asked 
him  if  this  was  one  of  the  times,  and  he  smiled  again 
and  said  it  was.  So  she  invited  him  to  make  one  of  the 
party. 

"  The  only  trouble  is,"  said  he,  "  it  will  be  too  warm  to 
dance.  Who  are  these  Joshes  ?  "  he  asked  smiling  at  the 
name,  as  everyone  always  did  at  first. 

"  Oh,  just  a  medium,  harmless  sort  of  person  who 
likes  to  join  women's  societies,  belongs  to  ten  of  them,  I 
believe,"  returned  Diantha,  looking  again  at  the  note. 
"  She  says  that  as  it  is  so  warm  no  one  need  dress  up, 
and  adds  that  *  Son '  is  going  to  wear  a  sash." 

"  Who  is  '  Son  '  ?  "  he  asked,  still  very  much  amused. 

"  I  don't  know,"  replied  Diantha.  "  I  have  always 
heard  of  him,  but  not  yet  have  I  set  eyes  on  him.  He 
is  doubtless  the  *  man-child,  she  has  received  from  the 
Lord/  you  know,  we  women  are  daft  on  that  subject." 

Stanley  lifted  his  eyebrows  slightly. 

She  looked  at  him  critically  and  saw  how  well-bearded 
he  was,  that  there  was  a  strong  light  shining  in  his  blue 

335 


336  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

eyes,  that  there  was  a  new  element  in  his  make-up  she 
had  not  realized  before. 

Impulsively  she  spoke,  not  being  able  to  contain  her- 
self any  longer.  "  I  never  knew  until  day  before  yes- 
terday that  you  had  saved  my  life  out  there  on  Granite 
Mountain,"  she  said  in  a  hushed  way.  "  I  seem  to  be 
piling  my  indebtednesses  up  —  so  that  I  can  never  re- 
pay-" 

"  What  nonsense! "  he  replied,  "  who  told  you  that? " 

"  Caspar/'  she  replied,  looking  down  at  her  desk. 
"  Caspar  thinks  you  are  the  finest  man  he  ever  met  in 
his  life  —  he  can't  praise  you  enough." 

"  It's  very  —  kind  —  of  —  him  — "  he  said,  medi- 
tatively. "  I  don't  deserve  it." 

"  Yes,  you  do,"  she  murmured,  but  a  silence  fell  upon 
them,  and  he  sought  the  office  without  trying  to  control 
his  inner  feelings. 

If  Caspar  had  told  Diantha  that  he  had  brought  his 
father's  evening  suit  along  with  him  to  wear  upon  any 
particular  occasion  that  should  arise,  their  two  wills 
might  have  been  saved  a  mighty  clash.  As  it  was,  in 
Colleen's  desire  to  help  matters  along,  she  had  said,  in 
Anna's  hearing,  "  Maybe  Caspar  might  wear  a  sash  to 
the  party  at  Staten  Island,  with  his  summer  suit,  the 
same  as  '  Son/  >; 

But  poor  little  Anna  was  new  to  the  city  and  did  not 
understand  clearly  what  she  meant  by  this  suggestion. 
And  in  her  desire  to  placate  Caspar  and  not  have  him 
think  them  "  so  hardened  and  so  tough,"  she  made  an 
effort  to  be  as  nice  to  him  as  she  knew  how,  and  took 
especial  trouble  to  assure  him  that  Mrs.  Josh  was  an 


"  SON  WILL  WEAR  A  SASH  "  337 

old  New  Yorker  of  fine  family,  and  that  the  party  was 
to  be  very  proper  indeed. 

Caspar  smiled  and  Anna  forgot  her  fears.  "  Maybe 
you  are  a  little  nervous  about  what  to  wear  ? "  said  she 
sympathetically.  "Of  course,  that  is  a  terrible  nuisance ! 
If  you  are  going  to  spend  the  evening  anywhere,  you  are 
expected  to  wear  a  swallow-tail  coat,  of  course,  and  yet 
if  you  leave  home  before  six  o'clock  to  get  across  the 
bay,  or  to  go  any  distance  in  the  train,  it  seems  — "  and 
she  let  her  voice  sink  into  accents  of  mystery,  very  low 
and  confidential,  "  it  is  very  terrible  to  have  it  on.  I 
don't  know  what  exactly  happens  to  any  one  if  it  should 
be  found  out." 

"  Probably  they  shoot  him,  as  one  would  a  mad  dog," 
suggested  Caspar,  affecting  to  look  very  much  alarmed. 

"  No  — "  said  Anna  studying  him,  and  then  Caspar 
smiled  and  the  radiance  of  that  smile  charmed  her  so, 
she  forgot  about  the  dress-coat  and  laughed  merrily. 

"  Can  you  dance  ?  "  she  asked. 

"  A  little  —  in  the  old-fashioned  way  —  you  know,  I 
am  altogether  old-fashioned  in  everything." 

"Oh,  I  don't  think  so,"  said  she  pleasantly,  "but 
dress-suits  — " 

"  Are  as  old  as  the  hills,"  he  replied,  promptly. 

"  Oh,  and  have  you  got  one  ?  "     She  seemed  pleased. 

"  Yes,  I  have  my  father's,  he  was  a  great  man  to 
dress  up,  and  my  mother  sent  it  to  me,  thinking  I  might 
need  it  here,  you  know."  There  was  a  quizzical  smile 
playing  about  the  corner  of  his  mouth. 

"  Oh,  then,  you  will  be  all  right,"  said  she,  delighted. 
"  I  heard  them  say,  that  as  it  is  so  warm,  they  were  not 


338  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

going  to  be  so  particular  as  to  require  much  dressing, 
and  that  '  Son '  is  going  to  wear  a  sash." 

Caspar  looked  puzzled.    "  And  who  —  is  '  Son '  ?  " 

Anna  answered  him  in  all  her  sweet  simplicity.  "  Oh, 
that  is  what  Mrs.  Josh  always  calls  Mr.  Josh  when  she 
speaks  of  him  —  you  know  we  have  none  of  us  ever 
seen  him.  I  suppose  it  is  a  pet  name,  so  we  all  call  him 
that.  And  I  was  wondering  about  you,  and  whether  it 
would  be  right  to  put  you  to  the  expense  of  getting  a 
sash  just  for  to-morrow  night,  and  maybe  you  might  not 
have  the  time  to  get  it,  besides,  and  so — " 

She  hesitated  to  see  if  she  were  presuming  in  any  way 
venturing  to  say  so  much,  but  he  seemed  much  interested, 
and  bade  her  go  on. 

"  And  so  I  thought  you  might  not  mind,  if  I  offered  to 
lend  you  one  of  mine." 

Caspar's  face  wore  an  annoyed  expression.  "Do  I 
have  to  wear  one  of  those  things?  " 

"  Well,  if  all  the  others  do/'  said  Anna,  gently,  so 
as  not  to  seem  forward,  "  I  thought  you  might  not  like  to 
be  different  from  the  rest." 

His  head  was  thrown  back  impatiently.  "  Well,  I  will 
stand  a  few  things,"  said  he  angrily,  "  and  already  I  have 
stood  much  to  satisfy  the  insatiate  thirst  of  fashion  to 
make  an  unlimited  jackass  of  a  man  who  ventures  to 
come  to  New  York  City,  but  if  you  will  excuse  me,  I 
prefer  not  to  go  to  a  dance  arrayed  in  a  sash,  no  matter 
how  warm  it  is!  I  prefer  to  stand  the  inclemency  of 
the  weather  rather  than — " 

"  Oh,  I  am  sorry  — "  said  Anna,  frightened  at  the 
storm  which  had  arisen  so  suddenly. 


"  SON  WILL  WEAR  A  SASH  "  339 

"But  that  is  all  right,"  he  said,  smiling  again  after 
the  storm,  seeing  that  the  little  girl  looked  distressed  by 
his  words,  and  wanting  her  to  go  on  talking  so  she  would 
reveal  those  hide-and-seek  dimples  in  her  cheeks. 

"  Just  wait  a  minute,"  she  said  and  she  ran  and 
got  something  from  her  room.  In  all  confidence  she  as- 
sured Caspar,  if  he  would  accept  it,  he  was  welcome 
to  either  her  blue  sash  or  her  plaid  one. 

By  the  time  Diantha  returned,  Caspar  was  in  a  danger- 
ous mood. 

"  You  will  go  with  us  ?  "  "she  said  in  her  most  coaxing 
stone. 

"  He  doesn't  want  to  wear  a  sash,"  said  Anna  in 
despair,  who  had  a  desire  to  have  him  appear  up-to-date, 
as  she  imagined  it. 

"  No,  I  won't  go  —  nothing  would  hire  me  to,"  he 
began,  then  hesitated  at  revealing  his  secret  feelings  on 
the  subject  of  the  very  outrageousness  of  such  a  style  for 
men  at  a  dance. 

"  Oh,  never  mind  the  sash !  "  exclaimed  Diantha,  des- 
perately, "  if  only  you  will  give  us  the  pleasure  of  your 
company,  you  can  wear  anything  you  want,  from  a 
blanket  to  a  gunny-sack." 

"  Evidently,"  he  said  in  a  dry  sort  of  way,  as  if  he 
were  disgusted  with  all  of  them. 

He  started  for  the  door,  making  some  kind  of  an  ex- 
cuse for  his  hurried  departure.  In  answer  to  her  last 
entreaty,  he  told  her  he  didn't  believe  Mr.  Everton 
would  wear  one  of  those  fool-things,  and  if  not,  he  might 
and  he  might  not,  be  on  the  boat  going  over  the  ferry, 
on  the  following  evening. 


340  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

"  If  you  see  me  you  will  know  I  am  there ! "  he  said, 
brusquely. 

As  he  left  the  room,  Gene  turned  from  the  window. 
"  Funny,  isn't  it,  why  the  men  choose  some  and  not 
others !  Just  imagine !  Won't  it  be  queer  to  see  Diantha 
and  Anna  going  along  leading  their  monsters  by  pink 
ribbons,  for  that  is  what  matrimony  comes  to  after  all's 
said  and  done.  And  we'll  go  on  just  the  same ! " 

"  There  are  several  men  left  in  the  world,"  said  Sed- 
die,  cheerfully.  "  What's  the  matter  with  Doctor  Charlie 
after  he  gets  to  be  a  full-fledged  tooth-carpenter?  You 
might  do  worse,  Gene !  " 

Miss  Lenore  lifted  her  eyebrows  in  scorn  at  such  a 
proposition.  "  I  prefer  my  art,  to  marrying  any  old 
man, — and  why  not  you  make  a  match  with  Dr.  Bones  ?  " 

"  Nice  fellow,  enough/'  said  Seddie  with  a  sigh,  "  but 
he  isn't  going  to  pull  through,  his  lungs  are  too  weak,  I 
am  afraid.  He's  half-starved  for  food  now,  and  when 
he  gets  into  the  hospital  work  he'll  be  more  than  half- 
starved  for  air." 

"Poor  fellow!"  exclaimed  Diantha  pitifully,  "Mr. 
Everton  says  he  ought  to  be  sent  to  Colorado  now. 
And  that  something  has  got  to  be  done  to  get  more  rooms 
for  the  hospital  —  that  it  is  wicked  and  stupid  to  let  it 
go  on  any  longer." 

Showery  smiled.  "That's  just  like  Mr.  Everton  — 
and  maybe  he  will  save  him  yet.  You  must  be  glad  Cas- 
par is  such  a  picture  of  health." 

"  By  the  way,  Marchie,"  broke  in  Gene,  "  you  didn't 
mind  me  putting  that  rose  in  Caspar's  buttonhole,  did 
you?" 


"  SON  WILL  WEAR  A  SASH  "  341 

"  Not  in  the  least,"  said  Diantha  pleasantly. 

"  Some  girls  might,  I  know,  but  I  didn't  think  you 
would.  I  can  understand  now  how  it  is  that  you  are  so 
madly  in  love  with  him.  But  if  he  were  the  last  man  on 
earth,  I  couldn't  put  up  with  him.  If  we  were  cast  away 
on  a  desert-island  together  from  a  wreck,  and  another 
ship  came  along,  a  year  after,  they  would  find  me  on  one 
end,  and  Caspar  on  the  other.  We  don't  adjust." 

Showery  stooped  down  and  gathered  a  bunch  of  rib- 
bons from  near  her  feet. 

"  Why,  what  is  this?  "  she  asked. 

"  Oh,  it  is  mine,"  exclaimed  Anna.  "  I  was  trying  to 
lend  one  of  my  sashes  to  Caspar  to  wear  to  the  party, 
like  '  Son/  " 

"  Was  that  what  was  the  matter  ? "  laughed  Diantha. 
"  Talk  of  the  blind  leading  the  blind !  No  wonder  Cas- 
par was  in  arms  at  the  idea  of  going  there  decked  out 
like  an  Injun  chief.  It  shows  his  good  sense." 

But  little  Anna  was  in  despair  over  this  badinage  at  her 
expense,  till  Showery  came  to  the  rescue  and  told  her 
that  men  had  sashes  of  their  own  —  not  colored  at  all, 
but  just  like  a  wide,  black  ribbon  to  take  the  place  of  a 
vest. 

"  My !  but  I'm  glad  Caspar  didn't  take  it,"  said  Anna 
in  relief.  "  Why,  I'd  been  scared  to  go  to  the  party." 

"  Yes,"  said  Gene,  "  Caspar  is  very  fascinating,  but 
he  has  the  manners  of  a  bear." 


CHAPTER  XLVI 

JOHN  QUINCY  PROVES  HIMSELF 

IT  was  at  noon  and  Stanley  Everton  came  to  Diantha's 
desk  with  the  most  peculiar  suppressed  smile  play- 
ing upon  his  face  she  had  ever  seen. 

"Why,"  she  said  with  that  wonderful  understanding 
that  seemed  to  exist  between  them,  "  is  anything  the 
matter?" 

"  Haven't  you  missed  anybody  lately  ? "  he  asked  her. 
"  Isn't  there  some  tall  person  of  your  acquaintance  who 
has  utterly  dropped  out  from  the  circle  at  Pleiades 
Hall?" 

"Of  course !  You  mean  John  Quincy  —  why  what 
has  happened?  Won't  his  father  let  him  come  to  see  us 
any  more?  He  wanted  to  marry  little  Anna  last  Friday 
night,  but  now  I  suppose  it  is  someone  else,"  and  Diantha 
laughed. 

"  Well,  no,"  said  Everton,  "  it  seems  we  have  none  of 
us  done  poor  John  justice.  It  seems  that  he  has  set  up 
a  will  of  his  own  and  has  gone  to  bed  to  remain  for- 
ever." 

"Well,  of  all  the  wild  things!  what  do  you  mean?" 
she  cried. 

So  in  a  few  words  he  told  her  the  story  of  how  John 
had  returned  to  his  father's  house  the  preceding  Friday 
night  and  had  waited  up  for  his  father's  return  to  an- 

342 


JOHN  QUINCY  PROVES  HIMSELF  343 

nounce  to  him  that  he,  the  son,  was  going  to  be  married, 
and  that  he,  the  father,  owed  it  to  him  to  show  him  some 
way  that  he  could  earn  his  living. 

At  this  Col.  Quincy  had  nearly  choked  with  rage  and 
had  said,  "  Go  to  bed,  you  fool !  You've  always  been  a 
fool,  and  from  all  I  can  see,  you  always  will  be  one." 

John  had  admitted  that  in  the  past  he  had  been  not 
very  clever,  but  that  now  he  had  come  to  his  reason 
and  had  something  to  live  for.  At  this  Col.  Quincy  had 
said  that  in  the  morning  he  would  pick  out  a  girl  that 
would  be  a  credit  to  the  family  and  with  a  fortune  to 
support  them  both,  if  John  was  bent  on  getting  married, 
but  that  he  didn't  want  to  hear  another  word  about  those 
Canadian  girls  he  had  been  tagging  around  after. 

"  Go  to  bed ! "  he  had  demanded  fiercely. 

"  Is  that  your  last  word  ?  "  John  had  asked  patiently. 

And  his  irate  father  had  pointed  to  the  door. 

"  I'll  take  you  at  your  word,  father,"  John  had  said, 
and  he  had  gone  to  his  room  and  to  bed  and  there  he  had 
stayed  for  the  time  in  between. 

"What!  In  this  broiling  hot  weather?"  asked 
Diantha,  deeply  interested. 

"  That's  just  exactly  it,"  replied  Everton.  "  He  has 
been  in  a  high  fever  and  they  have  had  the  doctor  and 
Colonel  Quincy  is  on  the  verge  of  an  apoplectic  fit  with 
rage  over  the  whole  affair.  But  John  says  as  there's 
nothing  to  live  for,  why  should  he  get  up  and  put  on 
clothes  or  eat  or  do  anything  else." 

"  Of  course  we  haven't  done  him  justice,"  exclaimed 
Diantha.  "  Why,  it  shows  that  he  is  made  of  good  stuff 
after  all.  He  is  simply  adapting  himself  to  that  misfit 


344  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

of  a  father  of  his!  Why,  Colonel  Quincy  knows  about 
as  much  of  the  needs  of  his  son  as  he  does  of  the  Dai 
Lama  of  Tibet.  And  it  is  just  as  brave  and  noble  of 
John  to  go  to  bed  and  stay  there  in  order  to  get  his 
father's  permission  to  marry  as  if  he  got  on  a  horse 
and  went  out  and  killed  somebody,  like  the  knights  in 
the  old  tales  always  do.  Just  think  of  it  —  in  weather 
like  this!" 

"  It  seems  he  has  been  imploring  his  father  and  his 
aunt  to  send  a  message  to  you — " 

"To  me?"  asked  Diantha. 

"  Yes,  and  at  last  they  sent  for  me  and  I  am  here  to 
deliver  it,"  and  Everton  smiled  at  her  meaningly.  "  You 
know  we  have  to  fix  up  all  these  affairs  for  everybody. 
John  says,  '  Ask  Diantha  what  I  can  do.'  " 

Diantha  sat  with  her  chin  resting  on  her  hand.  She 
was  full  of  prophetic  inspiration.  She  could  see  far 
ahead  a  neat  home  made  by  Anna  for  John  and  him  com- 
ing to  that  home  in  the  full  strength  of  his  manhood 
with  the  money  he  had  earned  by  his  own  effort.  It 
was  a  beautiful  picture. 

"  He  would  have  the  dynamo  of  love  behind  him," 
she  said  as  one  in  a  trance,  "  and  that  makes  conquerors 
of  men." 

Stanley  was  looking  at  her  intently.  "  Miss  Quincy 
was  right!  She  said  you  girls  would  make  a  man  of 
John  if  you  had  half  a  chance." 

But  Diantha  was  still  studying  the  question.  "  It's 
surely  enough  to  make  any  one  go  to  bed  with  a  fever, 
it's  so  hopeless;  for  he  can't  keep  books  even.  Ah! 
now  I  have  it  —  Anna  can  keep  the  books  for  him  and 


JOHN  QUINCY  PROVES  HIMSELF  345 

let  him  be  an  insurance  man.  Why,  I  know  some  fellows 
not  at  all  bright  who  are  making  three  thousand  a  year 
that  way.  And  with  you  and  his  father  to  help  —  he  could 
work  it  up  in  time.  Don't  you  think  so  ?  " 

He  nodded  his  head.     Words  were  superfluous. 

"  The  only  thing  is  to  get  that  father  of  his  to  yield, 
I  don't  suppose  that  is  possible,"  she  said. 

"  That's  where  I  come  in,"  he  replied,  trying  to  conceal 
the  laughter  ready  to  burst  out  in  spite  of  his  efforts  to 
hold  it  back.  "  I  was  there  last  night  and  saw  John  in 
that  great  bed  of  carved  cupids  and  demons  enough  to 
give  anybody  mania  potu  just  to  sleep  there  one  night. 
The  whole  house  is  dark  and  gloomy !  —  needs  a  shake- 
up  and  is  getting  it  all  right!  And  there  was  the  dog, 
Rompey,  crawling  under  the  bed  with  fear.  There  was 
the  aunt  weeping  and  the  father  cursing  and  saying  John 
was  a  jackass.  Well,  naturally,  I  told  him  I  thought  it 
would  be  a  good  thing  for  John  to  get  a  nice  sweet 
girl  like  Anna  Murray. 

"  And  then  he  wanted  to  know  what  John  would  live 
on  if  he  refused  to  put  up  for  him.  '  Why/  said  he, 
'  John  couldn't  earn  a  dollar  to  save  his  neck  from  the 
hangman/ 

"  Well,  you  should  have  seen  John.  He  jumped  as 
if  he  had  been  shot  and  with  his  long  legs  hanging  over 
the  side  of  the  bed  he  demanded  to  know  how  much 
his  father  would  bet  on  that  proposition.  It  didn't  take 
me  but  a  moment,  you  know,  to  take  up  the  bet.  I've 
got  a  hundred  on  it  at  this  moment  with  the  understand- 
ing that  if  Colonel  Quincy  loses  he  is  to  consent  to  the 
marriage.  And  John  was  not  in  his  bed  this  morning 


346  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

and  Colonel  Quincy  has  just  telephoned  me  on  the  sub- 
ject. And  I've  told  him  and  Miss  Ruth  to  meet  me  out 
at  West  Eightieth  Street." 

Diantha  sat  there  looking  at  him  in  amusement  and 
bewilderment. 

"  What  ?    Already  ?  "  she  exclaimed. 

"If  I  get  the  hundred  111  give  it  to  Anna  to  start 
housekeeping  with,"  he  said  smiling,  "  and  I  think  I 
am  going  to  get  it.  Would  you  like  to  come  along  and 
see  the  fun?" 

"  Where  ? "  she  asked,  and  he  told  her  to  get  on  her 
hat  and  they  would  go  out  to  West  Eightieth  Street  to 
meet  Colonel  Quincy  and  Miss  Ruth,  his  sister. 

Leaving  the  elevated  cars  they  made  their  way  to  the 
corner  of  the  street  and  waited  a  moment  till  a  carriage 
drove  by  containing  the  two  members  of  the  Quincy 
family.  Diantha  was  still  wondering  when  Everton  led 
the  way  a  little  further  along  to  where  the  street  was 
blocked  by  a  van  of  furniture  which  was  being  unloaded 
and  carried  into  an  apartment  house  of  six  stories,  by 
some  movers  of  no  particular  consequence  though  one  of 
them  was  very  tall. 

The  carriage  of  the  Quincy's  had  turned  around  and 
was  now  coming  back.  The  pet  dog  of  Miss  Ruth's 
suddenly  stood  up  and  looked  at  the  van  and  barked 
furiously  as  if  in  welcome.  Everton  came  to  the  edge 
of  the  sidewalk  and  greeted  them  and  they  in  turn 
greeted  him  and  Miss  March. 

"  Well,  I  can't  stop  but  a  moment,"  said  Everton, 
hurriedly,  "  but  I  want  to  tell  you,  Colonel,  that  I  have 
won  as  you  can  see  for  yourself  if  you  will  take  a  look. 


JOHN  QUINCY  PROVES  HIMSELF  347 

And  Miss  March,  here,  is  my  witness."  He  patted 
Rompey,  the  dog,  on  the  head,  lifted  his  hat  to  Miss 
Ruth  and  to  Miss  March,  and  then  went  back  as  he  had 
come. 

Puzzled  the  three  of  them  looked  at  the  scene  of  bustle 
and  confusion  connected  with  the  unloading  of  the  van, 
and  perceived  in  the  tall  figure  of  the  mover  a  familiar 
look  in  spite  of  the  old  clothes. 

Rompey  barked  again.  The  mover  turned  his  face  to 
them  but  kept  bravely  on  with  his  work. 

"  Why,  it  is  John ! "  exclaimed  Miss  Ruth,  "  how  ro- 
mantic !  " 

"  Romantic,  to  hell,"  muttered  his  father.  Diantha 
stood  there,  her  head  proudly  held.  John  was  upholding 
the  honor  of  Pleiades  Hall  —  a  champion  for  little  Anna. 

He  was  struggling  with  a  large  bureau,  placed  upon 
his  back,  and  slowly  mounting  the  stairs  to  carry  it 
within  and  up  many  stair-cases.  It  was  not  easy  for 
him;  for  he  was  untried  to  such  labor,  but  as  Diantha 
had  said,  "  the  dynamo  of  love  was  behind  him,"  giving 
him  the  power  to  do  the  deed. 

The  blood  rushed  to  the  head  of  Colonel  Quincy  to 
see  his  son  a  carrier  of  furniture  in  the  streets  of  New 
York,  yet  he  was  struck  mightily  by  the  sight  of  this 
prodigy  of  labor.  "  Who  would  have  believed  it  ?  "  he 
said. 

Diantha  and  Miss  Ruth  had  a  nice  little  chat  together 
and  Diantha  gave  her  a  message  to  give  to  John  when  he 
should  return  home,  inviting  him  to  join  them  in  the  trip 
to  Staten  Island  by  moonlight. 

Just  then  John  himself  came  and  stood  by  the  car- 


348  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

riage-door  and  patted  Rompey  on  the  head.  "  Well, 
father,  when  I  come  home  I'll  bring  my  dollar  and 
a-half.  You  can  never  throw  that  up  to  me  again.  And 
tomorrow  I'll  have  another.  I've  got  a  job  with  this 
man  for  forty-five  dollars  a  month.  I'm  going  to  be 
elemental,  like  Caspar,  because  that's  what  Anna  likes, 
and  Diantha  here ;  and  you've  got  to  work  if  you  want  to 
be  elemental/' 

"Well,  I'll  be  —  d— "  muttered  Col.  Quincy  pulling 
at  his  collar  for  more  air.  "  Where  did  the  cub  get  all 
that  lingo?" 

"  Why,  from  these  nice,  sweet  girls,"  said  Aunt  Ruth, 
with  tears  in  her  eyes.  "  Come,  get  in  with  us,  Miss 
March,"  and  then  she  gave  the  message  to  John.  "  But 
you'll  be  too  tired  to-night,"  she  said,  "  you  couldn't 
possibly  go  to  Staten  Island !  " 

John  laughed  gleefully. 

"  Yes,  I  can,  and  let  us  all  go,  father,  and  get  ac- 
quainted. I'll  see  Anna  and  tell  her  all  about  it,  and 
how  I  won  for  Mr.  Everton,  and  for  myself  and  for 
her." 

"  Please  go  home  with  me,  Miss  March,"  pleaded  Miss 
Ruth,  "  I  want  to  know  you  better." 

It  was  a  wonderful  story  Diantha  brought  home  to  the 
Pleiades  girls  that  afternoon.  After  all  had  been  told, 
and  description  had  been  given  of  the  gloomy  home  of 
the  Quincy's,  and  details  also  of  that  marvelous  piece 
of  carving  which  Everton  had  brought  to  her  attention 
first,  with  its  flocks  of  demons  and  cupids  writhing  all 
over  it,  where  poor  heroic  John  had  worked  out  his 


JOHN  QUINCY  PROVES  HIMSELF  349 

problem,  she  came  to  the  confidences  reposed  in  her  by 
his  aunt  Ruth. 

"  What  do  you  think,  girls  ?  "  she  said,  her  voice  sink- 
ing into  a  mysterious  whisper.  "  Miss  Quincy  took  me 
up  in  her  own  room  and  told  me  the  most  wonderful 
thing  you  ever  heard.  The  reason  that  John  Quincy  is 
going  to  amount  to  anything,  in  spite  of  everything,  is 
because  of  his  mother!  She  was  brave  and  splendid. 
His  father  did  not  want  any  children,  but  she  insisted 
on  John  having  his  life,  although  she  paid  for  it  with 
her  own." 

On  hearing  this  there  was  not  one  of  them  that  did 
not  sympathize  with  the  young  fellow  and  declare  it  was 
no  wonder  there  was  that  melancholy  look  in  his  big 
brown  eyes. 


CHAPTER  XLVII 

STATEN  ISLAND  IN  THE  MOONLIGHT 

TN  after  years  they  used  to  talk  about  that  night  tffey 
•••  all  spent  going  to  and  coming  from  the  island  in  the 
wonderful  moonlight  and  the  fantastic  happenings  and 
incidents  belonging  to  it. 

In  after  time  they  would  say,  "  Oh,  do  you  remember 
that  night  when  we  all  were  young  and  so  romantic  and 
every  little  thing  seemed  so  large  and  important  and 
wonderful  ?  "  And  others  would  reply,  "  Well,  it  was 
wonderful!  Everything  is  important  when  one  is 
young." 

The  glamour  of  youth !  What  pigment  is  bright  enough 
and  gilded  enough  to  paint  it!  In  after  years  some  of 
them  would  have  passed  from  earth,  others  have  been 
crushed  beneath  the  weight  of  sorrow,  some  reach  joy 
and  comfort;  one  of  them  is  now  in  a  convent,  one 
sleeps  beneath  the  forget-me-nots  far  away  to  the  Pacific 
—  but  this  night  they  were  all  young  and  full  of  mischief 
and  merriment.  It  was  good  for  old  earth  to  know  such 
a  night  for  her  children. 

I  can  testify  to  the  beauty  of  that  night  of  nights,  for 
was  I  not  there  and  did  I  not  see  them  all  in  their  youth 
and  high  spirits,  and  was  I  not  one  of  those  danced 
with  by  Caspar,  and  who  that  had  ever  once  met  Caspar 
could  forget  him? 

350 


STATEN  ISLAND  IN  THE  MOONLIGHT       351 

It  was  a  muggy  looking  little  ferryboat  that  was  wait- 
ing at  the  wharf,  to  carry  them  over  to  Staten  Island. 
But  to  John  Quincy  it  was  a  silver  shallop  with  purple 
sails.  When  Caspar  arrived  he  was  greeted  with  more 
than  cordiality  by  Howard,  as  if  to  make  up  for  the 
past. 

"  I  want  you  to  go  with  me,  next  Saturday,  to  a  game 
between  the  Colums  and  the  Pennsys,"  began  Howard 
in  a  confidential  way,  "  and  we'll  bet  our  money  on  the 
Pennsys."  As  this  modern  parlance  was  like  Choctaw 
to  Caspar,  it  had  to  be  explained  to  him  that  it  referred 
to  a  football  contest  between  two  rival  colleges.  Still 
Caspar  seemed  puzzled.  He  wanted  to  know  if  they, 
the  Pennsylvanians,  were  better  than  the  Columbians,  or 
were  they  more  likely  to  win. 

"  Better  ?  More  likely  to  win  ? "  repeated  Howard. 
"  What  has  that  to  do  with  it  ?  A  man  who  wouldn't  bet 
against  the  world  for  his  own  state  is  not  worthy  of 
the  name  of  patriot !  It  will  always  be  the  regret  of  my 
life,  Caspar,  that  I  put  my  bet  against  you  instead  of 
for  you.  I  should  have  won,  of  course,  but  that  is  not 
the  point,  I  should  rather  lose  my  money  on  a  Pennsyl- 
vanian  than  to  win  on  any  other  state.  Oh,  I'm  not 
so  sordid  as  you  may  think.  We'll  go  and  lose  our 
money,  if  need  be,  on  our  countrymen,  but  they  shall 
hear  us  howling  for  them,  just  the  same." 

Caspar  felt  his  blood  stirring  at  the  picture.  "  The 
Pennsylvanians  against  the  world,"  he  exclaimed,  in  a 
sort  of  mock-heroics.  And  the  two  natives  of  that  state 
gripped  fervently  while  the  ebon-haired  Vivian  smiled 


352  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

and  murmured,  "  Do  you  know,  you  men  are  actually 
weird  ?" 

Included  in  Mrs.  Josh's  invitation,  under  the  generic 
term  of  escorts,  were  Doctor  Bones  and  his  inseparable 
companion,  Slow  Molasses.  These  two  strugglers  after 
fame  and  fortune  were  willing  to  be  considered  "  es- 
corts "  and  enjoy  a  cool  ride  on  the  Bay  with  pleasant 
company,  as  long  as  it  did  not  take  the  bread  out  of  their 
mouths. 

Some  day,  each  would  be  rolling  in  wealth,  as  doctor 
or  as  dentist,  and  they  would  then  indulge  in  much 
merriment  over  the  straits  of  poverty  they  had  passed 
through  in  order  to  reach  success.  But  at  the  present  time 
it  was  no  laughing-matter  to  exist  as  they  were  attempt- 
ing to  do,  striving  to  attain  a  diploma,  by  sheer  force  of 
endurance,  sustained  mostly  by  liberal  potations  of  New 
York  atmosphere,  an  occasional  ten  cent  meal  and  the 
crumbs  of  luxury  at  the  picnics  and  parties  of  the 
Pleiades.  They  were  hungry  most  of  the  time.  It  was 
no  wonder  that  they  were  thin  and  somewhat  tragic  in 
appearance,  and  that  even  their  jokes  were  somewhat 
threadbare. 

While  the  clans  were  gathering,  Caspar  and  Everton 
were  left  on  the  outside  edge  together,  both  very  alert 
and  on  a  tension  of  some  strange  kind  not  easy  to  define. 
Caspar  was  not  of  a  suspicious  nature,  but  he  atoned 
for  it  in  being  most  curious.  His  loyalty  to  this  gen- 
erous friend  who  had  made  success  in  life  possible  to 
him  was  unswerving.  Nevertheless  there  came  a  pe- 
culiar question  into  his  mind.  Was  Mr.  Everton  one  of 
the  thirteen  men  who  had  asked  Diantha  for  her  hand 


STATEN  ISLAND  IN  THE  MOONLIGHT         353 

in  marriage?  If  so,  why  had  she  said,  "No"?  To 
add  to  this,  if  he  were  a  disappointed  suitor,  why  had  he 
been  so  generous  to  him,  the  successful  suitor? 

Such  magnanimity  as  that  was  almost  impossible. 
Could  he,  himself,  in  a  similar  case  do  as  much?  He 
doubted  it.  And  a  new  admiration  for  his  benefactor 
sprang  up  in  his  breast,  for  by  some  kind  of  an  instinct 
he  was  beginning  to  feel  some  strange  influence  in  the 
very  air  about  him. 

On  his  part,  Stanley  was  fond  of  Caspar  on  his  own 
account,  won  to  admire  him  by  his  manliness  and  in- 
tegrity. He  himself  had  had  the  prior  claim,  it  was 
true,  but  Caspar  was  the  better  man,  and  he  had  been 
chosen.  He  had  dared  to  hope,  however,  that  he  would 
win  at  the  last.  This  was  a  treachery  to  Caspar.  A 
set  of  conflicting  emotions  stirred  his  depths  as  he  con- 
sidered that  if  it  were  not  for  her,  they  two  would  be 
absolute  friends,  loyal  and  faithful. 

Howard  was  standing  near.  "  Well,  Stanley,"  he  said, 
"  what  are  you  going  to  do  about  this  —  affair  ?  " 

The  love  of  hazard  which  was  a  part  of  Everton's 
nature  asserted  itself.  "  I've  given  up  smoking,  and 
I'm  going  to  be  temperate  in  everything  I  do ;  I'll  never 
be  the  same  man  again  whether  I  win  or  lose.  But  my 
last  venture  is  this:  if  nothing  happens  in  the  next 
twenty-four  hours,  counting  from  midnight,  I  vow  that 
I'll  take  the  next  steamer  to  Europe." 

"So  that  is  your  ultimatum?"  said  Howard  with  a 
smile  of  sympathy. 

"  Yes,"  he  returned  earnestly,  "  but  I  wouldn't  be 
human,  if  I  didn't  try  to  make  something  happen." 


354  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

The  girls  were  watching  the  arrivals.  "  Oh,  there  is 
Mrs.  Josh,  at  last,"  cried  Colleen.  "  We  were  so  afraid 
she  would  be  left  and  Vivian  would  have'  to  be  our  only 
chaperone;  for  we  weren't  sure  that  you  would  come, 
Miss  Quincy  and  our  crowd  like  plenty  of  guardians." 

But  Miss  Quincy  was  gazing  at  Gene,  half-puzzled 
and  quite  austere.  "  Miss  Bishop,"  she  asked,  "  is  not 
this  the  young  lady  who  chaperoned  you  all  the  other 
night  at  the  roof-garden  and  also  on  the  yacht,  or  was  it 
an  older  sister?  " 

Colleen  blushed  and  confided  the  truth  that  it  had 
been  Miss  Lenore  with  a  gray  wig  on,  and  in  borrowed 
clothes.  And  when  this  was  told  to  Col.  Quincy, 
he  rallied  Gene  on  having  deceived  him  completely,  that 
he  wasn't  half  as  much  afraid  of  her  now  that  he  knew 
she  wasn't  one  of  those  artful  little  widows.  And  Miss 
Lenore  did  not  hesitate  to  be  as  artful  as  possible  in  spite 
of  her  dark  hair  and  her  lack  of  experience. 

Caspar  and  Everton  standing  together  were  having 
a  little  confidence  regarding  the  importance  of  the  young 
Mr.  Josh  who  had  not  yet  appeared. 

"  I  understand  that  '  Son '  is  going  to  wear  a  sash," 
said  Caspar  in  a  spirit  of  boyish  mischief. 

"  And  I  have  been  given  to  understand  that  he  is  a 
man-child  from  the  Lord,"  said  Stanley,  oracularly,  "  but 
someway  I  don't  think  I  am  going  to  like  '  Son ' !  " 

The  two  men  laughed  in  comrade-sympathy.  They 
did  not  know,  themselves,  why,  only  that  a  subtle  in- 
fluence was  at  work,  and  they  wanted  to  vent  their 
peculiar  feelings  on  some  one,  but  certainly  not  on  each 
other. 


STATEN  ISLAND  IN  THE  MOONLIGHT        355 

It  takes  a  little  thing  to  set  either  sheep  or  men  going 
in  the  same  direction.  To  please  Anna,  John  made  him- 
self most  agreeable  to  Mrs.  Josh,  who  was,  as  Diantha 
had  said,  a  most  harmless  woman,  but  easily  flustered  and 
overwhelmed.  Some  way  all  the  men  took  the  notion  to 
overdo  the  polite  act,  in  order  to  enjoy  her  confusion. 
Some  people  are  inclined  to  show  the  cloven  hoof  at  the 
least  opportunity,  and  the  very  harmlessness  of  Mrs. 
Josh  aggravated  this  desire  on  the  part  of  the  men 
present. 

To  Diantha's  surprise  Everton  was  the  leader  in  all  the 
good-natured  pleasantry  at  the  good  lady's  expense. 
"  By  the  way/'  he  spoke  most  confidently,  "  where  is 
'  Son  ' —  I  mean  your  son  —  of  course  —  I  thought  we 
were  to  have  the  pleasure  of  his  society." 

At  this  reference  to  her  well-beloved  offspring,  the  face 
of  Mrs.  Josh  wore  a  Madonna-like  smile  of  content. 
She  announced  with  a  conscious  shyness  that  "  Son  "  had 
brought  his  young  lady  with  him  and  preferred  to  remain 
downstairs  but  that  she  would  take  great  pleasure  in  pre- 
senting him  to  them  all,  later  in  the  evening. 

Before  the  ferryboat  had  come  to  a  stop  at  its  wharf 
on  the  other  side  of  the  sparkling  waters,  Diantha  had 
become  aware  of  a  discomforting  feeling.  That  all  the 
men- folks  were  taking  a  wicked  enjoyment  in  poking  fun 
at  their  chaperone,  she  had  more  than  a  suspicion.  Even 
Slow  Molasses  and  Dr.  Bones,  who  never  dared  to  act  so, 
were  being  put  up  to  it  by  the  examples  set  by  Everton 
and  Caspar.  What  was  this  compact  offensive  and  de- 
fensive between  these  two?  What  did  it  signify? 
Much  as  she  wanted  them  to  be  friends,  did  she  think  she 


356  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

liked  it,  when  they  two  were  arrayed  against  her?  For 
they  even  jollied  her  when  she  tried  to  come  to  Mrs. 
Josh's  rescue.  She  was  quite  sure  she  did  not. 

But  all  this  was  as  nothing  compared  to  a  new  sensa- 
tion that  befell  them  all,  as  they  approached  the  place 
where  the  lanterns  proclaimed  a  festival,  and  music  was 
pouring  forth  an  invitation  to  the  dance.  Tall  and 
stately  were  the  columns  looming  up,  as  if  it  were  another 
Parthenon,  to  which  they  were  wending  their  way. 

A  lady  came  running  to  meet  the  advancing  host,  and 
she  was  much  excited. 

"  Oh,  Mrs.  Josh !  what  do  you  think,"  she  exclaimed 
— "  it  has  all  been  changed  —  and  there  are  no  free  in- 
vitations for  to-night,  as  usual,  I  only  just  now  found  it 
out.  It's  to  be  a  benefit  for  the  musicians,  and  a  dollar 
a  ticket." 

The  smile  on  poor  Mrs.  Josh's  face  slowly  faded  as 
this  news  percolated  into  her  brain.  She  tried  to  convey 
the  awful  tidings  to  her  cohort  but  the  words  died  away 
on  her  lips. 

"  Cheap  enough ! "  said  Caspar,  valiantly,  for  the 
crowd. 

Not  even  those  who  are  rolling  in  coin,  admire  being 
held  up  to  pay  for  what  is  supposed  to  be  a  friendly 
invitation,  especially  when  they  have  left  their  money 
behind  in  their  other  trousers'  pocket.  Besides,  dress- 
suits  have  a  way  of  their  own  of  ignoring  business  and 
leaving  it  behind  altogether  when  bound  for  a  purely 
social  evening.  As  for  the  poor  students  who  were 
trying  to  get  a  little  enjoyment  out  of  the  invitation  of 
Mrs.  Josh,  this  demand  would  take  ten  meals  out  of  their 


STATEN  ISLAND  IN  THE  MOONLIGHT       357 

half -starved  stomachs,  if  even  they  had  had  it  with  them. 

"  If  ever  I  get  out  of  this  alive,"  muttered  poor  Dr. 
Bones,  "  I  swear  I  will  keep  clear  of  these  infernal  society 
affairs." 

The  other  was  pale  and  sandy  to  which  was  added  the 
pallor  of  the  moment.  He  did  not  want  to  be  disgraced 
before  the  girls,  he  had  his  pride  to  maintain.  "  But  — 
what  —  did  —  they  —  want  —  to  —  do  —  it  —  for  ?  "  he 
drawled  in  that  irrelevant  way  of  his,  that  had  won  for 
him  his  title  of  "  Slow  Molasses." 

John  went  back  to  borrow  from  his  father.  Caspar 
was  one  of  those  who  spends  but  little,  but  he  always  had 
fifty  dollars  in  his  clothes.  It  is  only  queens  and  the 
enormously  rich  who  can  afford  to  go  on  their  tri- 
umphant way,  penniless. 

The  doctor  tried  to  explain  his  plight.  "  The  girls 
were  very  particular  to  tell  us  it  was  to  be  a  Dutch  treat," 
said  he,  "  and  I've  only  got  my  carfares." 

"  Never  mind,"  said  Caspar,  cheerfully,  "  I  can  lend 
it  to  you." 

Presently  Diantha  came  flying  to  the  top  of  the  pro- 
cession to  tell  how  mortified  she  was  over  the  terrible 
blunder. 

"  It's  —  all  —  right  — "  drawled  Slow  Molasses  Charlie, 
"  a  little  thing  —  like  that  doesn't  —  bother  us,  does  it, 
Mr.  Rhodes?" 

And  Caspar  understood  and  replied,  "  Not  at  all." 

"  You  know,  I  said  it  was  all  to  be  Dutch,"  she  said, 
"  and  so  it  shall  be,  only  I  am  going  to  borrow  for  the 
girls  — "  No  one  knew  better  than  she  what  an  ordeal  this 
moment  was  to  the  poor  students,  no  one  felt  the  morti- 


358  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

fication  of  it  more  than  she.  She,  too,  felt  as  if  she 
never  wanted  to  see  poor  Mrs.  Josh  again  or  ever  hear 
of  one  of  her  invitations. 

"  How  much  do  you  want?"  asked  Caspar  promptly. 
The  word  passed  down  the  line,  and  amid  great  merri- 
ment even  Howard  came  to  Caspar  for  change  at  that 
most  awkward  moment.  Caspar  gave  each  one  the 
needed  sums,  and  then  went  forward  leading  the  line  to 
the  splendid  House  of  Columns  in  the  moonlight.  He 
had  saved  the  situation. 

Everton  was  affecting  great  gayety  of  spirits  over  the 
affair,  and  as  the  others  passed  within,  he  persuaded 
Caspar  to  remain  with  him  near  the  door. 

"  Let  us  watch  and  see  how  '  Son  '  takes  the  situation," 
he  whispered  in  a  reckless  sort  of  mischief.  In  his  des- 
peration he  had  picked  on  the  unknown  to  serve  as  a  sort 
of  scapegoat  on  whom  to  vent  his  perverse  feelings.  He 
had  to  have  some  one  and  it  should  not  be  Caspar,  that  he 
had  sworn  to  himself. 

It  was  true  that  with  his  young  lady,  in  deep  conver- 
sation, Mr.  Josh  had  loitered  so  far  behind  as  not  to  know 
what  was  going  on  at  the  head  of  the  procession.  They 
two,  lying  in  wait,  saw  him  as  he  was  being  pulled  up 
by  the  doorkeeper,  a  small,  thin  youth,  rather  peaked  and 
sallow-black  as  to  complexion  and  hair  and  eyes.  He 
was  so  engrossed  with  his  young  lady  that  he  paid  no  at- 
tention to  the  man  at  the  door,  demanding  his  ticket. 

"Huh?"  said  he,  finally.  The  man  explained.  Mr. 
Josh  resented  this  interference,  and  pushed  past,  saying 
indignantly,  "  Where's  my  mother  ?  Mother !  " 

At  the  well-known  voice  of  her  well-beloved  offspring, 


STATEN  ISLAND  IN  THE  MOONLIGHT       359 

Mrs.  Josh  came  flying  to  the  rescue,  and  the  two  behind 
the  palm  tree  enjoyed  the  scene  wickedly. 

"  Oh,  Son/'  she  cried,  "  it's  a  dollar  a  piece,  and  I  have 
left  my  purse  at  home,  the  musicians  have  a  benefit  to- 
night." But  the  explanation  was  superfluous.  Mr.  Josh 
squirmed,  then  he  writhed  in  his  effort  to  restrain  his 
opinion  of  this  swindle.  Like  a  wax  figure  beside  him 
stood  his  girl.  He  glanced  at  her,  straightened  up,  put 
his  hand  in  his  pocket  and  produced  a  half-dollar. 

Everton  borrowed  the  amount  from  Caspar  and  came 
forward  and  said,  "  Permit  me,  Mrs.  Josh !  " 

The  poor  lady  was  more  overwhelmed  than  ever,  and 
then  she  introduced  with  conscious  pride,  the  being  to 
whom  she  stood  before  all  the  world  as  "  Mother."  In 
another  moment  Caspar  had  joined  them  and  there  began 
a  repetition  of  the  previous  performance  on  the  ferry- 
boat, in  which  Mrs.  Josh  and  her  son  were  being  made 
the  butt  of  ridiculous  flatteries  without  end.  The  poor 
lady  tried  to  smile  and  look  intelligent.  "  Son,"  however, 
did  not  smile  nor  did  he  try  to  appear  knowing.  Like  his 
maternal  parent  he  was  quite  lacking  in  the  sense  of 
humor  that  enables  one  to  enter  upon  a  joust  of  this  kind, 
but  where  she  was  merely  gentle,  he  was  fierce  in 
response.  He  didn't  know  who  the  two  were  who  were 
having  such  a  lot  of  fun  at  his  expense,  and  he  didn't 
want  to  know  them. 

He  took  off  his  overcoat,  and  Caspar  was  disappointed 
to  observe  that  he  was  attired  like  the  other  men  present, 
in  a  plain  dress-suit,  only  with  lower  vest  than  usual.  He 
began  to  be  very  much  bothered  in  his  mind  over  the  way 
Anna  had  tried  to  persuade  him  to  wear  her  gaudy 


360  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

ribbons  on  the  strength  of  what  "  Son  "  was  going  to 
appear  in,  and  Diantha  had  lent  herself  to  the  scheme  of 
wanting  to  make  him  ridiculous,  also.  He  wondered  if 
it  was  a  new  trick  they  all  had  meant  to  play  on  him. 
All  the  more  did  he  indulge  in  bombastic  compliments, 
in  his  resentment,  as  if  to  get  even  on  the  innocent  cause 
of  his  annoyance. 

All  at  once  they  became  aware  of  the  presence  of 
Diantha  in  all  the  splendor  of  her  white  gown  with 
spangled  vest  and  sleeves.  Her  copper  hair  shone  out 
like  an  aureole  about  her  face.  Her  dark  eyes  looked 
reproach  at  them  and  in  the  poise  of  her  head  was  dis- 
approval. The  soft  folds  of  her  skirt  made  graceful  lines 
about  her  adding  to  the  beauty  of  her  appearance. 

At  sight  of  her,  so  splendid  and  spirit-like,  the  battery 
of  wit  died  down,  and  the  three  victims  made  their 
escape. 

"  I  can't  think  what  has  come  over  you  two,  to-night," 
she  said  more  in  sorrow  than  anger,  "that  you  should 
take  such  pleasure  in  bully-ragging  those  poor  inoffensive 
Joshes,  whom  you  do  not  even  know!  It  makes  me 
think  of  the  boys  in  the  school-yard,  picking  on  a  boy 
not  half  their  size."  She  turned  and  followed  the  others, 
and  the  two  men  looked  at  each  other  frankly. 

"  Oh,  she  is  awfully  angry,"  said  Caspar. 

"Appay  —  rently  so,"  said  Everton,  in  a  pronuncia- 
tion of  his  own  of  the  word  which  gave  it  a  quaintness 
of  meaning  quite  opposite. 

"  What  had  we  better  do  ?  "  asked  Caspar,  as  a  follower 
of  a  champion  whom  he  had  sworn  to  follow  to  the  bitter 
end.  The  sparkles  of  mischief  were  in  Everton's  eyes 


STATEN  ISLAND  IN  THE  MOONLIGHT      361 

as  he  suggested  that  they  two  go  into  the  ballroom  and 
dance  with  every  other  girl  in  the  room,  leaving  Miss 
March  for  the  last. 

"  The  very  thing,"  exclaimed  Caspar,  full  of  resent- 
ment against  her  for  the  trick  she  had  tried  to  play  on 
him  to  make  him  come  here  decked  out  in  a  gaudy  sash, 
like  a  fool. 


CHAPTER  XLVIII 

THE   MAGIC   OF   HUNGARIAN   GOULASH 

OH,  but  it  was  hot  and  damp  that  night  in  the  ball- 
room of  the  House  of  Columns !  Most  of  the  men 
fled  the  scene  and  sought  the  cool  rays  of  moonlight  out- 
side instead.  Slow  Molasses  and  Dr.  Bones  were  already 
seeking  windows  and  draughts  in  defiance  of  hygiene  and 
etiquette  but  they  were  not  at  all  enthusiastic  any  way, 
and  were  only  looking  forward  to  the  welcome  hour  that 
was  to  take  them  back  to  the  boat  and  away  from  hated 
Staten  Island. 

The  young  ladies  in  light  attire,  by  some  queer  pro- 
vision of  nature  are  better  endowed  to  endure  the  agonies 
of  dancing  under  these  torrid  circumstances,  but  if  men 
will  not  dance,  what  is  a  poor  girl  to  do?  Had  it  been 
left  to  women  to  contrive  the  mythological  tales,  they 
would  have  made  Tantalus  a  young  lady  in  delightful 
costume,  sitting  in  a  ballroom,  partnerless. 

All  at  once  everything  was  changed  as  in  the  twinkling 
of  an  eye.  Two  splendid  comets  appeared  in  the  deadly- 
dull  ballroom.  They  were  lacking  in  formality  to  an 
almost  alarming  degree.  They  did  not  ask  if  one  would 
dance,  they  took  that  for  granted.  Indeed  what  else 
were  they  there  for  ? 

Gene  Lenore  and  Colleen  were  simply  seized  and 
whirled  out  into  the  grand  vortex,  without  so  much  as 

362 


THE  MAGIC  OF  HUNGARIAN  GOULASH       363 

by  your  leave.  And  presently  they  were  rushed  back  to 
their  seats  and  Showery  and  Seddie  were  in  their  places. 

Every  neck  was  craning  toward  the  door  when  the  next 
waltz  was  in  progress  in  some  anxiety  lest  they  had  lost 
their  only  gallants  for  the  evening.  But  no!  the  two 
men-comets  came  running  through  the  dancers  to  them  all 
like  youths  on  a  lark.  But  what  a  surprise !  There  were 
actually  Miss  Quincy  and  Mrs.  Josh,  skimming  across 
the  floor  like  ducks  on  a  pond.  In  fact  they  had  had  no 
time  to  refuse,  nor  to  explain  that  their  dancing-days 
were  over,  for  they  simply  had  been  abducted  temporar- 
ily by  these  gay  cavaliers,  for  the  purpose  of  making 
their  revenge,  or  whatever  it  was,  complete. 

The  girls  looked  sideways  at  Diantha,  sitting  there  as 
beautiful  as  any  of  the  butterflies  of  fashion  present, 
being  ignored  thus  by  her  betrothed,  and  her  old-time 
friend,  as  well,  so  pointedly,  and  wondered  what  she 
thought  of  "  these  carryings-on !  " 

That  Diantha  was  puzzled  and  annoyed,  there  was  no 
doubt.  The  partnerless  girls  in  the  room  feasted  their 
envious  eyes  on  the  two  fine-looking  fellows  who  were 
giving  their  little  coterie  such  a  good  time,  she  could  see 
and  know.  But  she  felt  as  if  these  two  were  as  much 
strangers  to  her  as  to  them,  as  if  she  had  never  known 
either  of  them  before.  But  what  sort  of  a  spirit  was 
animating  them?  What  was  this  compact  between  them 
and  against  herself? 

On  a  rush  they  came,  returning  the  two  silver-haired 
partners  to  their  places,  and  actually  had  the  daring  to 
take  out  to  dance  two  of  the  society  butterflies  near,  who 
were  only  too  pleased  to  be  counted  in.  It  was  actually 


364  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

a  most  unblushing  performance.  There  was  not  one  of 
the  little  group  from  New  York  that  was  not  jealous 
on  the  second.  Then  the  two  came  on  a  rush,  dropped 
their  outsiders,  and  Caspar  took  Vivian,  while  Everton 
invited  Diantha  for  a  short  whirl,  for  the  music  of  that 
dance  was  nearly  at  an  end. 

The  night  was  waxing  hotter,  if  possible,  and  yet  the 
gay  lark  of  the  men-comets  continued,  save  that  between 
the  numbers  they  fled  the  scene,  to  mop  their  faces  and 
get  their  wind.  But  not  again  was  Diantha  led  out. 

To  make  the  eleven  o'clock  boat  there  was  a  great  rush. 
Someway,  Diantha  was  more  than  annoyed  by  the  whole 
performance.  And  when  she  came  out  under  the  stately 
columns  into  the  moonlight  and  found  Gene  Lenore  pin- 
ning a  flower  of  some  sort  on  the  lapel  of  Stanley 
Everton's  coat;  she  was  thrown  into  a  deep  resentment. 
By  what  right  did  Gene  go  around  appropriating  her 
friends?  She  saw  them  walking  along  together,  at  the 
head  of  the  procession,  and  Caspar  was  with  Colleen. 

Slow  Molasses  insisted  on  pairing  off  with  her,  and 
she  felt  at  that  moment  she  would  have  enjoyed  seeing 
him  thrown  into  the  sea. 

They  missed  the  boat  by  one  minute,  which  made  Col. 
Quincy  exceedingly  cross.  So  they  gathered  on  the  dark 
wharf,  where  the  waters  of  the  bay  were  swirling  below 
ominously,  and  Gene  insisted  on  pinning  a  flower  in  his 
buttonhole  also  to  sweeten  him  up.  He  appeared  to  be 
mollified  by  this  flattering  of  his  vanity,  while  Gene  was 
arguing  to  herself  that  that  was  the  way  to  get  along  in 
the  world,  to  snatch  one's  opportunity  before  it  got  away. 

The  girls,  however,  thought  it  looked  "  so  silly." 


THE  MAGIC  OF  HUNGARIAN  GOULASH       365 

Mrs.  Josh  was  telling  Miss  Quincy,  in  her  simple, 
harmless  way,  about  Vivian,  her  wonderful  gifts,  and 
her  goodness  of  heart. 

"  You  know,  she  wouldn't  sing  in  public,  not  for 
thousands  of  dollars,  now.  But  when  I  was  convalescing, 
just  home  from  the  hospital,  she  came  with  all  her 
costumes,  and  gave  me  a  recital,  as  if  I  were  Queen 
Victoria.  And  it  is  perfectly  beautiful,  too!  You'd 
think  it  was  a  regular  vaudeville  of  foreigners  from 
Europe,  Asia,  Africa  and  America.  She  is  so  dark,  you 
know,  and  with  that  grand  black  hair  of  hers,  she  can 
make  up  to  be  the  loveliest  little  Injun  chief  or  Injun- 
mother  with  her  papoose,  you  ever  saw,  and  Arab  and 
Hindoo  —  and  I  don't  know  what  all.  And  the  songs 
are  beautiful,  she  got  them  from  all  those  folks,  herself." 

"  Oh,"  said  Miss  Quincy,  "  I  have  a  friend,  who  is  a 
hopeless  invalid,  she  has  been  nowhere  for  years;  I 
wonder  if  she  would  sing  for  her?" 

"Let  us  ask  her?"  suggested  Mrs.  Josh. 

Such  a  smile  as  illuminated  Vivian's  ivory  tinted  face. 

"  I  shall  be  only  too  happy,"  she  said. 

"  And  can't  I  come,  too  ?  "  spoke  up  Everton,  who  was 
trying  to  make  something  happen,  unexpectedly. 

"If  you  are  very  good,"  said  Vivian. 

"  I'll  never  forget,"  Mrs.  Josh  was  saying  to  the  young 
lady  of  the  raven  locks,  "  the  first  night  I  ever  saw  you ; 
it  was  your  debut-concert,  and  your  husband  was  there, 
too.  He  wasn't  your  husband  then,  of  course,  for  it  was 
the  first  time  he  ever  saw  you.  And  I  could  see  then  that 
he  was  in  love  with  you,  at  first  sight." 

"  Wasn't  that  romantic  ?  "  said  Miss  Quincy. 


366  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

"  And  you  were  in  love  with  him,"  continued  poor  Mrs. 
Josh,  trying  to  say  the  nicest  thing  she  could  think  of. 
Howard  always  became  restive  when  Mrs.  Josh  started 
on  this  legend  of  hers,  for  it  was  her  usual  remark,  re- 
vamped everytime  they  met. 

"  But  I  was  not/'  insisted  Vivian,  half -laughing.  "  I 
always  tell  you  I  was  broken-hearted  that  night." 

"Broken-hearted?"  queried  Everton,  with  a  sort  of 
mock-seriousness.  "  We  are  all  broken-hearted  when  it 
comes  to  that,  at  one  time  or  another,  but  few  of  us  re- 
cover as  delightfully  as  you  have.  Now,  I  should  like  to 
know  what  you  did  for  a  cure,  what  magic  herb  of  a 
'  Midsummer  Night's  Dream '  you  found  to  restore  you 
so  completely.  That's  what  we  all  want  to  know !  " 

Everyone  was  listening.  Everton  had  not  yet  quite 
recovered  from  his  reckless  mood  and  was  simply  talking 
nonsense  in  the  hope  to  make  something  happen,  he  did 
not  know  what.  Everyone  was  listening  to  see  what  he 
would  be  up  to  next. 

Vivian  gave  a  little  laugh  as  she  said,  "  It  must  have 
been  the  Hungarian  Goulash,  I  don't  know  of  anything 
else!" 

Everyone  wanted  to  know  about  it,  what  it  was,  and 
where  it  could  be  purchased,  with  such  a  unanimous  voice 
that  a  general  amusement  prevailed.  Diantha  alone 
seemed  not  to  hear  the  chatter  and  merriment. 

"  Well !  "  said  Vivian,  in  her  pretty,  Frenchy  sort  of 
way,  half-childish,  half -matronly,  by  turns,  "  it  was  this 
way!  I  was  never  in  love  longer  than  three  days  at  a 
time  till  I  met  Howard.  And  this  was  one  of  the  times. 
The  three  days  were  up,  and  of  course  I  was  broken- 


THE  MAGIC  OF  HUNGARIAN  GOULASH       367 

hearted,"  she  continued,  smiling.  "  So  I  sent  a  telegram 
of  '  Farewell,  forever/  and  then  feeling  hungry  I  went 
to  a  restaurant.  There  on  a  bill-of-fare  was  Hungarian 
Goulash.  Of  course,  languages  being  my  forte,  naturally 
I  ordered  the  dish,  and  presto!  it  cured  me  completely." 

Everton  became  very  much  interested.  "  Well,"  he 
exclaimed,  "  to  think  that  I  should  have  had  to  remain  in 
my  shattered  condition  all  this  time,  just  for  the  lack  of 
knowing  a  thing  like  that." 

While  the  others  were  laughing  at  this  bit  of  fooling, 
he  turned  and  looked  into  Diantha's  eyes  daringly. 

She  was  confused,  and  gave  her  attention  to  an  argu- 
ment going  on  between  Caspar  and  Anna.  She  could  feel 
he  was  indulging  in  some  of  those  weird  outbreaks  of  his. 

"  That's  it !  "  Caspar  was  saying,  rather  fiercely.  "  I 
can't  understand  why  you  wanted  to  make  such  a  guy 
of  me !  What  would  I  have  looked  like  coming  here  all 
decked  out  in  those  gaudy  sashes  of  yours?  Why  did 
you—" 

Anna  was  in  despair.  She  could  never  make  him 
understand.  Diantha  went  to  her  help  to  smooth  matters 
over,  and  tried  to  explain. 

"  But  you,  too,  insisted  that  '  Son '  was  going  to  wear 
a  '  sash,' "  protested  Caspar,  "  and  he  never  did  at  all. 
What  I  am  trying  to  get  at,  is,  what  you  had  in  your 
mind?  Why  you  all  wanted  to  make  a  guy  of  me  here, 
before  everybody?  " 

It  was  hard  to  manage  Caspar,  when  once  he  had 
started  on  a  thing  like  that,  as  Diantha  knew.  But  she 
was  so  angered  by  the  events  of  the  entire  evening  that 
she  had  little  patience  to  spare. 


368  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

Very  severely  she  said,  "  '  Son '  did  have  a  sash  on, 
as  you  could  have  seen  for  yourself,  if  you  had  taken 
the  trouble  to  look." 

Caspar  wore  a  puzzled  expression.  "  But  I  did  look, 
he  had  on  a  belt,  a  wide  black  belt." 

"  Well/'  said  she  with  a  touch  of  scorn,  "  what  did  you 
expect  he  would  have  on  ?  " 

Still  was  Caspar  in  a  state  of  bewilderment.  "  But," 
he  spoke  quickly  trying  to  answer  her  implied  derogation 
of  his  stupidity,  "  you  asked  me  once  if  I  had  never  seen 
the  pictures  in  the  papers,  of  men  and  women  in  bathing 
together  at  the  summer-resorts  ?  Now  didn't  you  ?  Own 
up!" 

She  nodded  impatiently. 

"  And  I  told  you  I  hadn't  taken  any  stock  in  the  things 
except  as  artist's  dreams,  but  I  did  see  them  that  day  with 
my  own  eyes,  didn't  I?  the  sea-woman  and  all  the  rest 
of  it?" 

"  Oh,  yes,  but  what  has  that  got  to  do  with  anything?  " 
She  exclaimed. 

Caspar  was  so  angered  that  he  spoke  out  exactly  what 
was  in  his  mind. 

"  Well,  when  you  all  made  such  a  fuss  about  dressing 
me  up  in  red  and  blue  ribbons  so  I  should  be  like  '  Son ' 
and  escape  the  inclemencies  of  the  weather,  I  didn't  think 
he  would  have  much  else  on,  worth  speaking  about.  I 
thought  from  what  you  all  said,  maybe  all  the  men  would 
be  draped  in  sashes  and  nothing  else." 

"  Hush,"  said  Diantha,  pale  with  anger,  for  Caspar's 
big  voice  had  risen  to  stentorian  tones. 

The  men  had  turned  away,  for  although  they  greatly 


THE  MAGIC  OF  HUNGARIAN  GOULASH         369 

admire  the  nude  in  the  female  form,  they  simply  loathe 
anything  that  impinges  on  the  dignity  of  the  male  form. 
Contrariwise,  nothing  so  amuses  women  nor  appeals  to 
the  levity  of  their  judgment,  more  than  to  see  the  men 
get  worsted,  and  especially  by  one  of  themselves,  as  in  a 
case  like  this.  There  were  furtive  little  shrieks  of  sup- 
pressed laughter  and  silly  titters  that  simply  maddened 
Diantha  to  desperation.  It  was  a  horrid  moment. 

"  O  Caspar,  you  will  simply  be  the  death  of  me,"  was 
all  she  could  say. 

She  left  them  then,  and  went  by  herself  to  another 
wharf,  where  it  was  darker  and  gloomier,  if  possible, 
than  the  other,  at  any  rate  it  was  a  place  where  she  could 
be  alone,  away  from  that  maddening  crowd  of  silly 
women.  Never  in  her  life  had  she  been  so  mortified,  and 
so  scandalized  as  upon  that  evening.  She  would  never 
forget  it  as  long  as  she  lived.  It  was  evident  to  her  that 
she  would  have  to  flee  to  the  wilderness  if  she  married 
Caspar.  That  "  if  "  struck  her  oddly. 

What  were  those  mere  infractions  of  table-etiquette 
like  biting  his  bread  instead  of  breaking  it,  of  putting  his 
napkin  over  his  shirt-front,  instead  of  across  his  knee,  of 
his  pronunciation,  saying  "  ant "  for  aunt,  of  saying 
"  what  ?  "  instead  of  "  beg  pardon,"  compared  with  this 
bluntness  and  terrible  frankness  of  Caspar's?  How 
long  would  it  take  him  to  achieve  the  finesse  and  diplo- 
macy of  Stanley  Everton,  who  steered  his  way  through 
social  Scylla's  and  Charybdisses  with  such  ease  that  one 
never  perceived  there  were  any  dangers  in  the  way? 
Was  there  not  such  a  thing  as  a  man's  being  too  brutally 
elemental?  Could  she  stand  it  always  to  be  mortified 


370  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

like  this?  And  why  had  he  not  danced  with  her  once? 
She  loved  him,  she  hated  him,  at  one  and  the  same  time. 

Meanwhile  Colleen  had  come  to  Caspar's  side,  to  pour 
oil  on  the  troubled  waters.  "  Caspar/'  she  ventured,  "  it 
is  all  my  fault." 

He  looked  at  her  in  a  maze.  "  Yours  ? "  he  said, 
vaguely,  more  bewildered  than  ever.  "  Why,  how  can 
that  be,  you  never  spoke  to  me  at  all !  " 

"  Well,  it  was  like  this,"  she  explained.  "  You  see, 
I  told  Anna,  I  thought  it  would  be  nice  for  you  to  wear 
a  sash  because  I  did  not  know  you  had  a  dress-suit,  and 
it  could  be  worn  with  your  other  suit  instead  of  a  vest. 
And  she,  poor  child,  was  like  you,  she  has  only  been  here 
two  months,  and  didn't  know  it  is  really  as  you  say,  just  a 
belt,  a  wide  black  belt  of  ribbon.  She  wanted  to  be  nice, 
poor  child,  and  so  offered  —  out  of  the  innocence  of  her 
heart,  what  she  thought  would  save  you  the  expense 
of—" 

Caspar  mopped  his  face  generally,  for  it  had  been  an 
awful  evening  expending  all  that  energy  in  the  tropical 
heat,  without  this  row  at  the  end,  which  to  him  was  like 
a  jump  from  the  frying-pan  into  the  fire,  literally.  "  Is 
that  all  ?  "  he  asked.  "  Why,  I  had  an  idea,  that  maybe 
it  was  a  trick  you  all  were  playing  on  me." 

"  O  Caspar !  "  said  Colleen,  still  bent  on  mollifying  him, 
and  venturing  on  the  use  of  his  first  name  as  one  would 
soothe  a  fractious  child,  "  have  we  ever  done  anything  to 
make  you  feel  like  that?  Because  if  we  have  you  must 
let  us  know,  and  give  us  a  chance  to  explain,  for  we 
wouldn't  do  such  a  thing  for  all  the  world." 


THE  MAGIC  OF  HUNGARIAN  GOULASH       371 

The  words  were  the  simplest,  but  they  removed  all 
doubt  from  his  mind. 

"  I'm  sorry,"  he  said,  passing  from  storm  to  sunshine 
at  once.  "  But  you  must  admit  that  I  have  had  a  pretty 
tough  time  *  proving  myself '  since  I  came  to  New  York. 
I  didn't  know  but  that  you  girls  had  put  up  a  bet  on  me 
to  see  if  I  was  such  a  greenhorn  as  to  be  induced  to  go 
there  to-night  in  puris  naturalibus  —  or  whatever  it  is. 
And  you  can't  blame  me,  now,  can  you?  When  you 
think  of  that  wild  automobile  ride  almost  off  the  island, 
and  the  free  fight  at  my  expense  over  that  straw  hat,  now, 
do  you  wonder  I  thought  you  had  put  up  another  job  on 
me?" 

But  he  was  smiling  into  her  eyes.  And  Colleen  was 
saying  to  herself,  how  glad  she  was  that  she  had  at  least 
that  rose  of  his  to  keep  forever. 

"Of  course,  you  have  been  most  outrageously  treated, 
but  it  is  all  over  now,"  said  Colleen,  trying  to  think  of 
something  else  to  talk  about,  to  change  the  subject. 

"  Did  you  ever  taste  Hungarian  Goulash  ?  "  she  asked 
him,  out  of  the  floating  thoughts  of  her  brain. 

"  Why,  no,  what  is  it  ?  "  he  responded. 

So  she  explained  that  it  was  a  wonderful  sort  of 
stew,  flavored  with  cloves  and  paprika,  which  was  a  sort 
of  red  pepper,  and  garnished  with  all  kinds  of  vegetables 
known  and  unknown,  and  served  up  by  a  Hungarian. 

Caspar's  curiosity  was  aroused.  "  Where  do  you  get 
it?  "  he  asked.  "  I  might  try  it  to-morrow  for  my  lunch." 
So  Colleen  gave  him  the  number  of  a  little  place  where 
she  said  she  often  went  and  ordered  it  and  so  could 
recommend  it. 


CHAPTER  XLIX 

DIANTHA   GOES   INTO   ECLIPSE 

T)UT  on  the  dark  wharf,  solitary  as  the  moon  in  her 
•*-*  orbit,  stood  Diantha. 

She  had  reached  the  acute  stage  of  her  indignation. 
She  had  never  felt  so  alone  in  her  life,  nor  so  irritated. 
She  did  not  know  whether  she  ever  wanted  to  lay 
eyes  on  any  of  her  old  friends  again  or  not,  especially 
Caspar.  In  fact  she  harbored  a  wild  idea  to  give  them  all 
the  slip  and  return  to  the  hotel  for  the  night. 

They  all  were  hateful  to  her.  She  fairly  ground  her 
heel  into  the  boards  beneath  her,  as  if  she  would  spurn 
the  very  earth  itself. 

Then  as  she  changed  her  position,  to  her  surprise,  she 
observed  that  some  one  was  standing  there,  it  was  a  man, 
it  was  Mr.  Everton. 

He  said  nothing  so  that  she  was. forced  to  speak. 

"  Will  you  please  go  away,"  she  said,  loftily,  "  I  wish 
to  be  alone." 

He  remained  as  if  he  had  not  heard  a  word,  so  that  she 
was  forced  to  repeat  her  request. 

"  You  are  alone,"  he  replied,  quietly,  "  I  am  here 
simply  to  protect  you  from  —  the  wharf -rats  —  and  — 
other  vermin.  Don't  mind  me." 

"  I  would  rather  associate  with  rats  than  some  people 
I  know,"  she  returned  bitterly. 

372 


DIANTHA  GOES  INTO  ECLIPSE  373 

"  So  would  I,"  said  he  soothingly. 

"  I  hate  everybody  on  this  wharf,"  she  continued, 
trying  to  resist  the  spirit  of  comfort  which  he  was  of- 
fering her. 

He  lifted  his  hand  as  if  to  stay  her.  "  Oh,  don't 
say  this  wharf,"  he  objected,  "  because  I  can't  subscribe 
to  that.  Just  say,  '  the  other  one,'  and  I  am  with  you." 

She  gave  a  little  laugh  in  spite  of  herself.  He  came  a 
little  nearer  and  then  she  said,  "  Oh,  what  is  that  ?  Tube- 
rose? Dear  me,  it  smells  like  a  funeral.  Do  you  mind 
my  taking  it  out  ?  " 

He  looked  down  at  his  lapel  and  gave  a  sniff  at  the 
posy  there. 

"  Sure  enough,  it  is  rather  strong ;  why,  take  it  out,  of 
course !  " 

He  stood  close  by  her  side,  looking  into  her  flashing 
eyes  as  she  drew  out  poor  Gene's  little  offering  and  flung 
it  into  the  dark  waters  below. 

She  seemed  to  feel  better,  somehow. 

"  I  am  very  unhappy,"  she  said  in  a  sweet  subdued 
sort  of  way,  wondering  why  it  was,  that  on  the  contrary, 
she  had  recovered  her  spirits,  and  was  feeling  at  peace 
with  herself  and  all  the  world. 

"  Oh,  I  am  so  sorry,"  was  all  he  said,  but  it  was 
enough. 

The  ferryboat  was  making  fast  to  her  moorings  and 
so  he  led  the  way,  and  meekly  she  followed. 


CHAPTER  L 

THE  COURAGE  OF  COLLEEN 

'  I  \HE  three  men,  John,  Caspar,  and  Everton,  had  in- 
•*•  sisted  on  seeing  the  girls  to  their  own  door.  John 
was  happy,  Caspar  was  contrite.  Everton  was  the  only 
one  who  felt  his  spirit  somewhat  in  shadow.  When 
Diantha  tried  to  persuade  him  to  get  off  at  his  own 
station,  he  seemed  ready  to  fly  into  a  passion  and  ob- 
jected so  fiercely  she  looked  at  him  in  wonderment  and 
said  no  more. 

The  girls  were  all  in  high  spirits  as  they  walked  along 
in  the  silvery  moonlight,  and  Caspar  had  managed  to 
make  his  peace  with  Diantha. 

As  they  approached  the  realms  of  Pleiades  Court,  it 
was  discovered  that  not  one  of  them  had  remembered 
to  fetch  along  the  necessary  talisman  for  the  opening 
of  the  door.  There  they  were,  keyless,  and  it  was  half- 
past  one  in  the  morning.  There  was  nothing  left  for 
them  to  do  but  to  hunt  up  the  habitat  of  "  that  Katy 
Johnson  "  and  secure  from  her  the  "  open  sesame."  Not 
understanding  the  circumstances  of  the  case  in  the  least, 
Caspar  and  Everton  accompanied  Diantha  and  Colleen  in 
order  to  get  the  key  as  soon  as  possible  to  relieve  the 
anxiety  of  the  moment. 

They  came  to  a  stop  before  a  five-story  house,  where 
the  door  was  wide  open.  Before  anyone  could  prevent 

374 


THE  COURAGE  OF  COLLEEN  375 

her  or  realize  the  situation,  it  was  Colleen  who  went 
forward  and  began  to  pick  her  way  up  the  stairs  to  the 
third  story  in  search  of  "  that  Katy."  Then  Caspar 
and  Everton  beheld  the  weird  sight  before  them.  The 
entrance  was  occupied  by  sleeping  blacks  lying  there 
across  the  floor  to  the  very  threshold,  trying  to  escape 
from  the  heat  within  in  order  to  get  the  air  from  the 
street.  Aroused  to  sudden  wrath  over  the  foolhardiness 
of  such  a  performance,  they  began  to  demand  her  to 
return,  but  Diantha  begged  them  to  keep  quiet.  "  Don't 
say  anything,  you  will  only  make  it  worse,"  she  ex- 
claimed. 

Presently  Colleen  appeared  and  seemed  much  pleased 
that  she  had  gotten  the  key  so  quickly.  Caspar  sprang 
and  caught  her  by  the  hand.  "  Promise  me  you  will 
never  do  such  a  thing  again,"  he  demanded. 

"  Such  courage,"  exclaimed  Everton,  "  but  you  ought 
not  to  do  it,  Miss  Bishop  —  it  is  all  wrong." 

"  Yes,  it  was  a  regular  Dore  picture  in  there,  just 
like  Hades,"  agreed  Colleen,  "  but  it  never  occurred  to 
me  to  be  afraid." 

When  they  returned  to  the  home  of  the  Pleiades 
every  one  was  glad  that  that  ordeal  was  over  and  all 
safely  within.  As  the  three  men  walked  down  the  street, 
Caspar  remarked  that  they  ought  to  have  a  man  around 
to  look  after  them,  and  the  other  two  agreed  with  him. 
As  they  were  parting,  Everton  took  out  his  watch.  "  I 
am  thinking  of  leaving  on  Saturday  for  Europe,"  he 
said.  "  In  twenty- four  hours  I  shall  know  whether  I  am 
going  or  not." 


CHAPTER  LI 

PAPRIKA    FOR    FOUR 

AT  the  approach  of  the  noon-hour  next  day,  old 
Horace  J.  Lockwood  stopped  a  moment  to  speak 
to  Diantha  about  their  plans  for  the  proper  housing  of 
the  children  he  had  been  persuaded  to  befriend.  He  ex- 
pressed the  wish  that  she  would  see  to  the  matter  for 
him,  as  he  was  not  feeling  first-rate,  and  would  have  to 
take  a  rest  in  the  country,  by  the  doctor's  orders.  He 
added  that  he  was  about  to  make  a  new  will,  and  that 
he  intended  to  make  her  one  of  the  trustees  to  carry  out 
his  wishes  in  the  plans  he  considered  to  be  for  their 
good. 

She  was  completely  taken  by  surprise.  And  then  she 
began  to  think  ahead  a  little.  How  would  this  obliga- 
tion affect  her  own  life?  Would  anything  have  to  be 
altered  in  consequence  of  accepting  this  duty?  There 
was  Caspar!  She  answered  at  once. 

"  Oh,  Mr.  Lockwood,  I  am  sure  it  is  very  kind  of 
you/'  she  said,  full  of  suppressed  excitement,  "  but 
an  obligation  like  that  is  a  serious  thing,  I  must  con- 
sider ;  for  I  am  going  to  be  married,  and  probably,  yes, 
very  likely,  I  shall  move  West  to  live/' 

That  was  best  —  the  wilderness  was  for  her  and  Cas- 
par, who  was  too  brutally  elemental  for  the  city. 


PAPRIKA  FOR  FOUR  377 

Horace  Lockwood  looked  at  her  steadily  through  his 
shaggy  brows. 

"  What  nonsense,"  said  he,  sharply,  "  Ain't  you  goin' 
to  marry  Stanley  ?  " 

She  let  her  eyes  drop  and  replied,  "  Oh,  no,  I  am 
going  to  marry  Mr.  Rhodes." 

"  Of  all  things !  "  he  exclaimed.  "  Not  but  that  Cas- 
par's a  good  fellow;  he  can  wallop  most  anythin'  goin', 
I  should  say  —  but  I  thought  you  had  sense  enough  to 
appreciate  a  man  like  Stanley.  But  that's  just  like  a 
woman,  go  and  spoil  everything."  And  he  went  out 
grumbling  under  his  breath. 

Here  he  had  found  out  what  to  do  all  nice  and  pat 
and  here  it  had  to  be  all  upset  by  the  fool-nonsense  of 
a  woman. 

Diantha  was  lost  in  a  brown  study  for  a  moment,  then 
she  put  her  hat  on,  and  went  out  for  her  lunch.  She 
sought  the  little  unnoticeable  corner  not  far  away,  which 
made  a  specialty  of  foreign  dishes.  She  was  thinking 
of  Vivian  and  wondering  how  it  would  seem  for  her 
to  send  a  telegram  of  "  farewell  forever "  to  Caspar. 
But  she  loved  him  and  could  not  give  him  up,  though 
all  the  world  demanded  it. 

He  was  her  Caspar  and  she  preferred  him  and  the 
wilderness  to  any  one  else  and  the  whole  world. 

She  found  a  small  table  where  she  could  be  alone 
with  her  thoughts,  which  were  very  intense  just  then. 
She  gave  her  order,  and  then  sat  resuming  her  brown 
study  as  before.  She  neither  saw  nor  heard. 

So  absorbed  was  she  in  her  meditations  that  she  was 
unaware  that  some  one  was  standing  by  her  side  asking 


378  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

a  question.  It  was  Everton  and  he  wanted  to  know  if 
she  minded  his  sitting  at  her  table  as  there  was  some- 
thing he  wanted  to  talk  to  her  about.  She  acquiesced 
in  a  dumb  sort  of  way  while  Everton  told  the  waiter 
to  fetch  his  order  to  this  table. 

"  I  didn't  sleep  much  this  morning/'  he  began.  "  I 
am  troubled  —  yes,  really  troubled  about  you  and  all 
you  girls  living  there  alone  and  doing  those  terrible 
things.  It  isn't  safe,  you  know." 

"  Wasn't  Colleen  brave  though,"  demanded  Diantha, 
full  of  admiration  for  her  friend ;  "  there's  a  girl  for 
you!" 

Presently  they  were  served  and  the  orders  were  the 
same,  which  seemed  to  strike  each  of  them  a  little  pe- 
culiarly. 

"  What  are  you  getting  broken-hearted  fodder  for  ?  " 
he  asked  discontentedly. 

"  Oh,  just  for  a  change,"  she  said  returning  en- 
thusiastically to  her  former  theme  with,  "  Speaking  of 
Colleen,  isn't  she  the  most  wonderful  combination  of 
strength  and  weakness?  Even  Caspar  appreciates  her; 
haven't  you  noticed  it  ?  Even,  Caspar  ?  " 

Everton  winced  as  if  in  pain.  He  gritted  his  teeth 
together.  A  strange  pallor  came  over  his  face.  Di- 
antha watched  him  fascinated  and  yet  frightened. 

He  recovered  himself  somewhat  and  said,  "  This 
goulash  is  full  of  paprika."  Then  with  painful  polite- 
ness he  began  to  speak.  His  blue  eyes  were  darkling 
with  emotion,  and  the  man  who  abode  in  that  human 
temple  looked  out  at  her  in  an  agony  of  some  kind 
she  could  not  understand. 


PAPRIKA  FOR  FOUR  379 

"You  say,  '  Even  Caspar !'"  he  remarked  frigidly. 
"  Now,  will  you  kindly  tell  me  what  you  mean  by 
that?" 

She  sat  there  simply  dumb,  and  he  continued  relent- 
lessly, "  Is  Caspar  so  different  from  all  other  men  on 
this  earth  that  he  occupies  a  classification  all  by  him- 
self? Is  Caspar  the  sum  total  of  all  perfection,  all 
nobility,  with  all  the  princely  qualities  of  superhuman 
creation?  Just  inform  me,  kindly,  what  it  is  you  do 
mean ! " 

Diantha  was  thoroughly  alarmed.  What  had  she  said 
to  awaken  such  sarcasm,  such  bitterness  of  speech,  as 
this,  so  unexpectedly? 

"  I  don't  mean  any  of  those  things/'  she  said  quietly. 
"  You  know  as  well  as  I  do,  that  Caspar  is  not  any  of 
those  things  you  mention,  that  he  is  selfish,  that  he  is 
crude,  that  he  has  a  bad  temper,  that  he  is  — "  her  voice 
failed  altogether,  and  she  was  covered  with  mortification 
at  her  own  words  • — "  almost  brutal." 

"  Don't  be  troubled,"  he  said,  more  gently,  "  never 
mind,  let  it  go." 

"  But  I  will  explain  what  I  mean,"  she  said,  brokenly. 
"  You  remember  our  talk,  long  ago  —  or  was  it  only 
last  spring?  Yes,  last  spring,  when  I  told  you  I  wanted 
to  find  my  elemental  man,  some  one  who  was  without 
the  veneer  or  artificiality  of  civilization,  fresh  from  the 
hand  of  nature,  with  all  his  faults !  I  only  asked  that  he 
should  be  true,  and  faithful,  and  pure,  waiting  for  me 
as  I  was  waiting  for  him,  and  you  required  that  he  be 
a  manly  fighter  as  well,  before  you  would  believe  in 
him." 


380  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

She  paused  and  he  bade  her  go  on,  that  it  was  all  so, 
as  she  had  told  it. 

"  Well/'  she  said,  plucking  up  her  courage  again, 
"  you  have  said  he  is  all  you  could  have  asked,  and  you 
have  believed  in  him  as  I  have,  and  that  is  why  I  think 
so  much  of  you,  Mr.  Everton,"  she  took  on  a  warmth 
of  emotion  and  a  tinge  of  color  that  made  her  positively 
beautiful  in  his  eyes.  "  That  is  why  I  admire  you  so 
much,  and  why  I  respect  you  so,  you  have  been  so  good 
to  Caspar,  so  magnanimous,  and  I  just  love  you  for  it." 
Her  tears  were  rolling  down  her  cheeks,  and  she  was 
trying  to  hide  her  face  by  bending  over  her  plate. 

"  Oh,  my !  you  will  spoil  your  goulash,"  said  he.  "  It 
will  all  be  salty." 

She  had  to  laugh  a  little,  but  resolutely  she  went  on. 
"  And  when  I  say,  *  even  Caspar/  I  mean  specially  the 
elemental  side  of  him  as  shown  in  his  tastes,  unspotted 
by  city-life,  free  from  artificiality.  He  is  natural,  nor- 
mal, unspotted,  unhardened,  with  a  fresh,  sweet,  clean 
taste  for  everything.  And  even  he  can  see  that  Colleen 
in  her  modesty  and  simplicity  is  a  girl  to  be  found  only 
once  in  a  hundred  thousand.  That's  all  I  mean." 

Everton  seemed  subdued.  Then  a  look  of  discon- 
tentment crept  into  his  face  and  a  tinge  of  it  sounded 
in  his  voice.  "  And  don't  you  think  I  am  elemental 
enough  to  perceive  that,  too  ?  " 

Diantha  began  to  feel  much  relieved.  Her  eyes  were 
gleaming  with  a  thousand  unspoken  thoughts  that  rushed 
to  her  lips  and  would  not  be  stayed.  She  went  on  to  tell 
him  that  she  had  never  been  more  surprised  in  her  life 


PAPRIKA  FOR 'FOUR  381 

than  the  day  when  he  had  arrived  in  Boulder  Camp,  and 
had  looked  so  different  with  his  full  beard,  and  the  way 
he  had  climbed  that  mountain  and  put  up  that  flag,  and 
all  the  fine  things  he  had  done  while  they  were  camping 
had  kept  her  in  a  state  of  wonderment.  "  Yes,  and 
when  you  fought  so,  the  night  the  safe  was  robbed,  you 
and  Caspar  with  that  brute  with  the  brass  knuckles; 
yes,  that  night,  I  almost  thought  you  elemental,  too." 

"  And  why  not  altogether  ?  "  he  asked  determinedly. 

She  was  disconcerted  by  the  question.  "  How  could 
I,  when  I  remembered  that  idea  of  yours,  about  want- 
ing to  marry  that  broken-down  widow  without  any  illu- 
sions and  then  your  asking  me  ?  " 

"Illusions  be  —  !"  he  exclaimed  angrily.  "  Oh,  I 
beg  your  pardon,  but  I  am  so  tired  and  sick  of  that  con- 
founded speech." 

"  It's  all  right,"  she  said  calmly,  "  there  are  worse 
things  than  swearing  —  the  girls  say  that  a  man  has  to 
be  let  have  a  few  devils  to  keep  the  place  from  being 
inhabited  by  seven,  and  that  if  there  is  nothing  worse 
than  a  swearing  and  a  smoking  devil  in  him  that  he  is 
lucky." 

"  Oh,  you  Pleiades  girls  have  settled  everything,  it 
seems,"  he  remarked  dejectedly.  "  But  I  want  to  tell 
you  right  now  that  that  speech,  that  silly  saying,  was  not 
original  with  me.  I  had  heard  Quincy  say  it  at  the 
club,  and  it  struck  me  as  rather  comical  to  say  it  back 
to  him  on  that  most  unfortunate  day  as  it  happened,  for 
you  to  overhear." 

Diantha  was  gazing  at  him  in  a  kind  of  a  spell.     "  It 


382  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

doesn't  sound  like  you/*  she  murmured,  "and  it  does 
sound  like  him !  And  you  never  thought  it  up,  yourself 
—  and  you  never  meant  it  ?  " 

"  Nope,"  he  said,  half  sorrowfully,  half  comically,  as 
was  his  way,  he  never  wore  his  heart  upon  his  sleeve 
and  concealed  his  feelings  always. 

"And  maybe  you  have  not  been  his  boon  companion 
for  the  last  ten  years  either,"  she  continued.  "  Maybe 
he  lied  when  he  said  so  ?  " 

"  He  certainly  exaggerated,"  replied  Stanley,  "  for 
while  I  have  belonged  to  the  club  for  five  years,  I  never 
cared  for  the  man  until  he  took  me  into  his  confidence 
last  spring  about  his  son,  and  then  I  tried  to  help  him 
out  with  his  problem.  You  know,  he  never  came  into 
the  office  until  that  day?" 

She  remembered  that  it  was  so.  "  One  thing  more," 
she  exclaimed.  "  May  I  ask  why  it  was  you  never  mar- 
ried the  young  lady  who  stood  under  the  apple  blos- 
soms with  you  —  your  first  love  ?  " 

"  Because  she  married  another  fellow,  and  I  could 
never  get  over  it  till  —  you  came !  "  He  spoke  in  such 
a  low  tone  she  barely  caught  the  words. 

"  Why,  Diantha !  and  Mr.  Everton,"  came  an  ex- 
clamation close  to  her  ear  from  one  whose  voice  she 
knew  absolutely.  She  looked  up  to  see  some  one  stand- 
ing by  her  side.  It  was  Colleen,  and  there  was  some  one 
with  her.  She  saw  it  was  Caspar,  and  there  was  an 
odd  look  on  his  face. 

Undoubtedly  it  did  appear  strange  that  she  and  Mr. 
Everton  should  be  lunching  together  this  way.  No  one 
could  ever  believe  it  was  mere  accident. 


PAPRIKA  FOR  FOUR  383 

And  how  did  it  happen  that  Colleen  and  Caspar  were 
together?  She  remembered  then  that  Colleen  had  told 
her  how  she  had  smoothed  Caspar  down  the  night  be- 
fore, by  changing  the  subject  to  the  discussing  of  the 
dish  that  Vivian  had  made  out  was  so  mysterious  and 
interesting. 

"  I  just  met  Mr.  Rhodes  outside,"  said  Colleen,  in 
explanation,  "  and  we  decided  to  come  in  and  try  some 
Hungarian  Goulash."  She  looked  at  the  table,  at  the 
scarcely  tasted  dishes  before  them,  and  said,  "  Why, 
you've  been  trying  it,  too!  Isn't  that  just  too  funny?  " 

And  three  of  them  laughed.  But  on  Caspar's  face 
there  was  no  hint  of  a  smile. 

"  It's  something  like  a  Midsummer  Night's  Dream," 
suggested  Everton  as  he  rose  and  pulled  out  his  watch. 
"  I  have  just  eleven  hours  left,"  he  added  sotto  voce. 

11  Eleven  hours  ?  "  repeated  Diantha. 

"  Yes,  I  am  expecting  to  take  next  Saturday's  steamer 
for  London,"  he  said  pleasantly.  "  It  will  be  decided 
during  the  next  eleven  hours." 

Then  he  made  his  excuses  and  departed. 

As  the  waiter  cleared  the  place  for  them,  Diantha 
gazed  on  the  two  with  acute  eyes.  How  easily  they 
seemed  to  get  along  together !  How  well  Colleen  seemed 
to  know  how  to  manage  Caspar!  What  if  —  but  she 
banished  the  thought. 

There  seemed  to  be  a  cloud  on  Caspar's  brow.  He 
made  no  response  to  their  little  sallies  of  forced  gaiety 
to  bridge  over  the  moment,  and  its  awkwardness  gen- 
erally. 

Colleen's  purse  lay  on  the  table  beside  her,  and  it 


384  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

was  partly  open.  Diantha  thought  she  perceived  some- 
thing there  that  was  not  usually  found  in  purses.  She 
scarcely  heard  what  Colleen  was  saying.  By  an  adroit 
movement  she  put  her  napkin  down  in  such  a  way  that 
it  jerked  the  purse  quite  open  and  cast  the  contents  out 
in  a  heap. 

"  Oh,"  cried  Colleen  as  if  she  had  been  hurt,  and  she 
placed  her  hand  over  the  little  heap  of  dimes,  nickles, 
bits  of  paper  with  memoranda,  and  a  strange  crushed 
bunch  of  pink  stuff  that  might  have  been  a  sample  of 
wool.  Caspar,  being  a  man,  was  oblivious  of  this  bit 
of  byplay. 

Diantha,  being  a  woman,  recognized  in  the  bunch  of 
stuff,  the  rose  of  love  which  Gene  had  placed  in  Cas- 
par's buttonhole,  which  she  had  torn  out  in  her  righteous 
indignation  and  crushed  beneath  her  foot,  and  perceived 
that  it  had  been  gathered  up  tenderly  by  Colleen  to  be 
cherished  as  something  precious. 

Sweet,  modest  Colleen  was  content  to  worship  Caspar 
from  afar.  She  never  flirted,  she  never  was  foolish  or 
silly  in  any  way,  she  was  worthy  of  the  best.  And  here 
was  her  simple  little  romance,  and  Caspar  would  never 
know. 

Diantha  looked  at  Caspar.  "  Shall  you  be  around 
early  ?  "  she  said.  And  there  came  that  wonderful  radi- 
ance into  his  face  that  always  held  her  spellbound. 

"Yes,"  he  said,  "and  shall  we  take  a  walk?" 

"  Oh,  no,  it  is  the  night  of  our  Single  Tax  meeting," 
she  protested,  "  I  wouldn't  miss  it  for  the  world,  but  if 
you  come  real  early,  we  can  have  a  walk  for  fifteen 


PAPRIKA  FOR  FOUR  385 

"  Do  I  have  to  go  to  the  meeting? "  he  asked. 

"If  you  want  to  make  me  very,  very  happy,"  she 
said  pleadingly,  "  you  will  go  with  me  and  see  what  it 
is  all  about  —  just  for  this  once !  " 

He  smiled  again.  "Of  course,  I  will,"  he  replied 
brightly,  joyfully,  "  and  then  when  we  once  get  that  over, 
everything  will  be  all  right ! " 


CHAPTER  LII 

DIANTHA   HEARS   SOME   SURPRISING   THINGS 

A  S  the  young  women  were  preparing  for  the  evening, 
•*  *-  hurrying  to  get  dinner  through,  many  pleasantries 
were  being  indulged  in.  Both  Diantha  and  little  Anna 
were  fair  game  under  the  peculiar  circumstances  of  the 
situation. 

"  What  shall  you  do  with  that  gloomy  furniture  of 
the  Quincy's,  Anna,  when  you  go  there  to  live  ?  "  asked 
Gene.  "  I'd  sell  it  if  it  were  mine  and  buy  instead  that 
grand  Lohengrin-and-the-Swan  bedstead  that  they  have 
on  exhibition  in  the  window,  down  on  Broadway,  if  I 
were  you.  It  would  be  so  sweet  to  sleep  in." 

But  Anna  declared  she  preferred  white  iron  and  brass 
like  Vivian  had. 

"  Why  don't  you,  Diantha,  why  don't  you  get  that 
Swan  bedstead?"  still  harped  Gene  Lenore,  trying  to 
tease  her,  "  it  would  just  suit  Caspar,  it  is  so  appropriate 
to  him." 

"  Oh,"  said  Colleen,  "  why !  they  are  going  to  build  a 
lodge  of  two  great  rooms  with  a  chimney  in  the  center, 
—  won't  that  be  fine?  I  just  love  immense  rooms  like 
that  after  these  cupboards  we  are  living  in  here  in  New 
York." 

Diantha  seemed  taken  by  surprise,  and  wanted  to 
know  how  Colleen  had  found  all  this  out. 

386 


DIANTHA  HEARS  SURPRISING  THINGS        387 

"Oh!"  she  said  cheerfully,  "Caspar  told  me  all 
about  it.  I  think  you  two  will  be  so  happy  you  won't 
want  Swan  bedsteads  —  just  a  couch  with  furs  and 
bear-skins  on  the  floor,  and  a  great  big  fireplace,  and 
shall  you  have  shelves  around  with  blue  plates  on? 
That's  what  we  ought  to  give  her,  girls,  for  a  wedding 
present." 

Diantha  looked  at  her  curiously.  This  was  the  first 
time  Diantha  had  heard  about  Caspar's  ideas  on  archi- 
tecture. She  rather  liked  them,  but  it  struck  her  oddly 
that  it  should  be  from  Colleen  that  she  heard  of  them 
first. 

They  all  sat  down  to  dinner.  But  Diantha  was  try- 
ing to  understand  things.  There  was  no  doubt  that  she 
and  Caspar  had  been  so  busy  fighting  all  the  while  that 
there  was  no  chance  to  talk  about  sensible  things  like 
that  elemental  lodge. 

Gene  was  telling  them  all  of  a  grand  idea  she  had 
about  a  novel  she  was  going  to  write.  It  was  to  be  the 
most  amazing  story  of  a  girl  who  was  plain  and  thin  — 
thin  as  a  bean-pole,  but  endowed  with  the  nature  of  a 
Cleopatra.  She  was  to  be  angular  and  skinny  with  hol- 
lows like  saltcellars  in  her  neck,  but  to  have  the  warm 
heart  of  a  Venus. 

Seddie  thought  it  would  not  be  popular,  that  no  one 
would  buy  it. 

"Wouldn't  they?"  cried  Gene,  "I  bet  you  that  the 
day  the  publishers  announced  it  for  sale  that  ten  thou- 
sand bean-poles  of  girls  would  be  knocking  on  the  doors 
at  eight  o'clock  in  the  morning  to  get  a  copy  and  it  would 
make  a  sensation." 


388  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

Colleen  wanted  to  know  what  put  such  an  idea  into 
her  head. 

"  Why,"  said  she  with  a  wave  of  her  long  lean  arm, 
"  because  I  know  something  about  it.  Why  shouldn't 
a  plain  girl  want  to  be  loved  and  adored  and  wear  beau- 
tiful clothes  and  exert  power  in  the  world  the  same  as 
one  who  is  plump  and  beautiful?  Why,  because  her 
nose  is  a  little  too  short  and  her  upper  lip  is  a  little  too 
long,  should  she  be  lacking  in  fire  and  ambition  and 
love  of  splendor?" 

Diantha  began  to  wake  up  at  such  revelations  as 
these.  "  But  what's  the  good  of  being  a  Cleopatra  or 
a  Venus?" 

"Ye  gods!"  cried  Gene,  "Why,  it's  fame  — death- 
less fame  and  glory." 

"  Pooh,"  said  Diantha,  "  I  never  heard  of  one  yet 
that  didn't  wind  up  miserably!  Look  at  that  wretched 
Emma,  Lady  Hamilton,  who  was  a  beggar  and  an  out- 
cast before  she  died.  And  the  girl  in  California  who 
was  found  to  have  all  the  proportions  of  the  Venus, 
what  became  of  her?  Why,  she  was  shot  down  in  the 
street  by  one  of  her  lovers,  and  died  there  like  a  dog. 
Oh,  Gene,  Gene,  we  can't  afford  to  think  things  like 
that." 

"  Why  not  ?  "    Gene  was  angry. 

"  Because  some  day  we  are  going  to  be  mothers,  and 
then  we  should  be  ashamed."  Diantha's  voice  was  low 
but  thrilling.  "  The  homeliest  woman  on  earth  is  beau- 
tiful to  her  children,  the  homeliest  woman  can  have  the 
bravest,  most  beautiful  and  finest  children  —  it  all  lies 
with  her  and  what  she  thinks  and  desires.  Look  at 


DIANTHA  HEARS  SURPRISING  THINGS       389 

Abraham  Lincoln's  mother!  She  must  have  had  grand 
thoughts  in  her  heart  and  brain  before  that  child  was 
born!  He  was  not  like  any  of  the  rest  of  the  family 
either  before  or  after.  You  can't  explain  him  any  other 
way." 

"  Yes,  indeed ! "  said  Seddie,  "  the  greatness  of  Lin- 
coln is  the  despair  of  believers  in  heredity.  And  any 
way,  it  goes  all  to  pieces  in  the  light  of  the  last  census. 
What  do  you  think?  Why,  it  has  been  discovered  that 
ninety-eight  per  cent,  of  the  criminals  come  from  re- 
spectable parentage." 

A  hush  fell  on  them  all. 

"  It  is  because  the  mothers  were  thwarted  and  com- 
pelled to  do  what  they  didn't  want  to  do,"  finally  said 
Diantha,  "  and  they  marked  their  children  with  their 
unsatisfied  desires.  But  women  can  even  arise  above 
that.  It  is  we,  Gene,  we  who  can  make  the  world  what 
we  will." 

Miss  Lenore,  calmed  down  by  this  time,  wanted  to 
know  if  she  really  believed  that  that  was  all  true. 
Diantha  assured  her  that  she  did. 

"  You  don't  mean  to  say,  Marchie,  surely  not,  that  it 
makes  no  difference  what  kind  of  a  man  you  marry  ? " 
asked  Gene,  pointedly.  "  I  was  thinking  the  other  day, 
that  if  I  had  had  a  good  father  like  yours,  maybe  —  I 
might  have  been  —  different." 

"Of  course,  I  didn't  mean  that  exactly."  Diantha 
seemed  confused  by  this  pathetic  admission  of  Gene's. 
"  But  it  is  this  way.  It  isn't  so  much  whether  the  man 
is  gifted  or  whether  he  is  religious  or  of  fine  quality 
himself,  as  it  is  whether  he  is  kind  and  magnanimous 


390  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

and  patient  with  his  wife  and  the  to-be-mother  of  his 
children.  They  will  be  superior  if  he  lets  her  be  free, 
you  know,  and  doesn't  dominate  her  every  minute;  lets 
her  call  her  soul  her  own.  Just  by  being  considerate  and 
letting  her  love  him,  they  can  have  finer  children  than 
they  are  themselves.  Something  mysterious  and  won- 
derful comes  in  just  like  the  spirit  of  God  in  a  case  like 
that  to  make  a  new  heredity  that  never  was  before  and 
never  may  be  again." 

"  That's  pretty  fine,"  said  Gene  musingly.  "  I'd  like 
to  be  the  mother  of  a  genius,  an  orator,  or  great  states- 
man, that  would  make  me  proud.  What  sort  of  children 
are  you  planning  to  have,  Diantha  ?  " 

"  Oh,  I've  got  to  hurry,"  she  exclaimed,  rising  from 
the  table,  hastily,  "  just  healthy  and  sensible  and  good 
and  brave  —  that's  enough  to  ask." 

She  flew  off  to  get  on  her  things  and  away  from 
them  all. 


CHAPTER  LIII 
DIANTHA'S  GREAT  TEMPTATION 

i  AS  PAR  was  as  good  as  his  word.  She  had  reck- 
oned  on  his  being  prompt  and  so  found  him  in  the 
vestibule,  downstairs,  about  to  ring  for  admission.  He 
was  in  good  humor,  and  pink  as  to  color ;  for  there  was 
no  touch  of  sluggishness  about  his  circulation.  He  was 
alive  and  radiating  life  from  his  own  excess  of  vital  es- 
sence. 

"  I  have  been  hearing  the  most  interesting  things," 
she  began  confidentially.  "  It  is  about  the  kind  of  a 
house  we  are  going  to  live  in,  a  lodge,  Colleen  called  it, 
with  two  great  rooms  and  a  mighty  chimney  and  fire- 
place in  the  middle,  and  shelves  around  with  blue  plates 
on." 

Caspar  laughed.  "  I  hadn't  heard  about  the  blue 
plates  before,"  he  said  comically. 

"  And  where  is  this  lodge  of  ours  going  to  be  built?  " 
she  queried. 

He  was  serious  in  an  instant.  "  Oh,  that  is  just  what 
I  want  you  to  decide.  Could  you  be  content  in  the 
wilderness  in  my  kind  of  a  house,  or  must  you  go  on 
living  in  these  chicken-coops  here  in  the  city  ?  " 

"  I  suppose  you  would  not  be  happy  here,"  she  said 
slowly,  for  she  had  found  that  she  loved  the  city. 

"  How  can  I  ?  "  he  exclaimed.     "  My  lungs  are  fairly 
391 


392  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

starved  for  oxygen  in  these  tiny  spaces.  I  want  a  moun- 
tain behind  us,  and  five  acres  in  front  of  us  and  the 
smoke  from  no  man's  chimney  in  sight  from  my  door. 
Don't  you  feel  that  way,  dearest  ?  " 

She  felt  herself  coming  under  his  spell  as  usual. 
"  Yes,"  she  murmured  under  the  influence  of  the  mo- 
ment, "  yes,  that  is  best  after  all." 

She  could  see  that  delightful  elemental  house  of  two 
great  rooms  with  the  chimney  in  between,  and  furs  and 
redwood  furniture  roughly  made.  What  a  nest  in  which 
to  rear  her  young!  What  splendid  lungs  they  would 
have  and  what  hearty  little  fellows  they  would  be !  She 
could  see  herself  in  the  midst  of  them,  like  Thusnelda, 
before  she  was  torn  away  from  her  Hermann  in  the 
wilds  of  Teutonia  to  grace  the  triumph  of  Germanicus, 
a  splendid  type  of  motherhood,  such  as  she  had  always 
dreamed. 

"  Oh,"  she  said  suddenly,  "  we  must  go  to  the  Metro- 
politan Museum,  Caspar.  I  must  show  you  the  glorious 
picture  of  Thusnelda,  it  is  my  favorite." 

"  You  are  very  fond  of  pictures,"  he  said,  smiling. 
"  I'm  almost  afraid  you  won't  be  able  to  stand  that 
bare-walled  lodge  of  ours." 

"  Oh,  we  can  buy  a  few  pictures,"  she  became  con- 
fused all  at  once.  "  I  mean  my  aunt  will  give  us  a 
few  for  our  walls,  she  won't  miss  them,  I'm  sure." 

There  was  a  strange  look  creeping  over  the  face  of 
Caspar. 

"Tell  me  about  that  aunt  of  yours.  First  you  say 
'buy,'  then  you  fall  back  on  that  mysterious  aunt,  I 
can't  quite  seem  to  make  it  out." 


DIANTHA'S  GREAT  TEMPTATION  393 

Diantha  knew  she  was  walking  into  trouble,  for  she 
was  not  gifted  in  the  art  of  prevarication.  Wearily  she 
thought  to  herself,  must  it  always  be  like  this,  to  be  cast 
down  into  the  regions  of  despair,  every  time  she  saw  the 
heavenly  visions  unfolding  above  her? 

"Well,  I  must  admit/'  she  blundered  along,  "that 
my  aunt  Diantha  is  a  rather  eccentric  person.  She 
lives  like  a  hermit  all  alone  in  a  big  house  in  Boston, 
and  she  has  made  her  will  in  my  favor.  It  isn't  much  — 
just  a  few  thousands,  but  I  am  sure  it  will  come  in  very 
handy  when  we  get  ready  to  build  that  lodge  of  ours," 
she  said  with  forced  gayety  trying  to  get  back  to  the 
wilderness  as  soon  as  possible. 

Caspar  looked  at  her  horrifiedly.  "  You  don't  cal- 
culate on  the  poor  old  lady's  dying  just  to  suit  us,  I 
hope !  That  seems  to  me  to  be  very  cold-blooded,  to  be 
building  one's  hopes  of  gain  on  the  death  of  a  rela- 
tive." 

"  You  are  right,  Caspar,"  said  she,  in  desperation ; 
"  it  is  simply  disgusting,  just  like  in  effete  monarchies, 
and  I  don't  care  if  the  old  lady  lives  to  be  a  hundred. 
We'll  get  along  without  her  help  even  if  we  starve." 

"  Oh,  it  isn't  going  to  be  as  bad  as  that,  we  can  both 
economize,  you  know,  for  the  future,"  he  said  slowly. 
"  I  expect  you  will  have  to  patch  the  little  trousers  as 
my  mother  did  mine.  But  I  used  to  be  proud  of  those 
patches  —  it  doesn't  hurt  a  boy  to  wear  them  a  bit." 

Diantha  felt  her  heart  give  a  leap.  She  was  not 
afraid  of  the  hardships.  Her  own  mother  had  done  the 
same.  If  only  she  could  wipe  out  those  lies  and  the  de- 


394  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

ception  she  had  practiced  upon  him  what  a  joyful  pros- 
pect would  be  before  her! 

Motherhood  was  calling  her  in  all  its  holiness  and 
sacredness.  It  was  motherhood  first  and  wifehood  sec- 
ond in  importance  to  her. 

A  way  out  of  the  doubts  and  perplexities  that  assailed 
her  came  into  her  mind  like  a  flash  of  lightning.  She 
would  marry  Caspar  the  next  day  secretly  —  he  would 
be  only  too  glad  to  escape  having  anyone  else  around  — 
and  then  when  it  suited  her,  she  would  tell  him  every- 
thing. 

More  and  more  alluring  grew  the  fair  temptation. 
After  they  were  married  he  would  have  to  forgive  her 
and  pretty  soon  he  would  forget  about  it  in  the  stress  of 
daily  life  and  be  only  too  glad  she  had  a  nice  little  sum 
to  help  out  towards  that  future  that  stretched  before 
them. 

A  doubt  came.  Maybe  he  would  not  forget  and  would 
throw  it  up  to  her  till  she  grew  to  hate  him.  Maybe  he 
might  become  a  surly  brute  at  being  conquered  by  her 
and  deteriorate  instead  of  growing,  as  she  had  hoped, 
milder  and  gentler  with  the  passing  of  the  years.  And 
she  might  become  a  virago. 

"  Dearest,"  he  was  saying,  "  I  expect  to  be  going  back 
to  Boulder  Camp  in  about  three  weeks.  Couldn't  you 
go  back  with  me  ?  " 

"  Are  you  sure,  Caspar,  that  you  will  not  regret  it?" 
she  asked  him  promptly.  "  You  will  have  to  promise 
me  to  be  very  patient  and  forbearing  for  the  first  year; 
for  I  am  not  easy  to  get  along  with,  you  know,  nor  are 
you." 


DIANTHA'S  GREAT  TEMPTATION  395 

"  Why,  of  course !  "  he  exclaimed,  "  we'll  have  to  put 
up  with  each  other  the  same  as  other  folks  do.  But 
we'll  be  all  right,  never  fear,  for  I  have  such  faith  in 
you  and  you  have  such  faith  in  me." 

Diantha  laughed  hysterically.  Her  conscience  hurt 
her  so  at  taking  advantage  of  this  blundering  innocent 
of  a  man  that  she  felt  as  if  she  could  strike  him.  Why 
not  punish  him  for  all  the  misery  he  had  caused  her  by 
his  blundering  and  his  utter  outrageousness  ?  Surly 
brute  or  no  surly  brute,  virago  or  no  virago,  she  would 
marry  him  the  same  as  other  people  married,  go  over 
the  precipice  and  be  done  with  it. 

But  what  she  said  was  this,  "  Caspar,  dear,  I  am 
going  to  give  you  a  great  surprise,  if  you  say  so,  I'll 
meet  you  to-morrow,  at  noon,  and  go  over  —  the  preci- 
pice—  with  you — "  she  faltered  in  spite  of  her  resolu- 
tion. 

Caspar  stopped  where  he  was  and  looked  at  her  in 
great  alarm.  "  Do  you  think  you  are  quite  right  ?  "  he 
asked.  "  Sometimes  it  seems  as  if  you  were  out  of 
your  mind." 

But  she  was  laughing  mirthlessly  to  cover  up  her  con- 
fusion as  if  she  had  only  been  joking.  "  Matrimony  is 
a  precipice,"  she  tried  to  explain,  "  you  get  married  and 
you  go  over.  Maybe  you  land  and  maybe  you  break 
every  bone  in  your  body.  That's  the  proposition.  Be- 
sides, Caspar,  any  woman  who  loved  you  would  naturally 
have  to  be  out  of  her  mind  or  else  she  couldn't  do  it." 

A  reprieve.  Caspar  had  not  caught  on  to  what  she 
had  said  —  she  could  draw  back,  even  now,  from  the 
fatal  edge  of  the  precipice.  What  was  the  matter  with 


396  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

her,  why  was  she  so  glad  he  had  not  understood? 
Maybe  she  was  losing  her  mind  and  getting  love-crazed, 
she  had  heard  of  such  things.  Maybe  it  was  his  strong 
physical  attraction  that  drew  her  so  like  a  moth  to  the 
flame.  Maybe  mind  and  reason  were  trying  to  hold  her 
back. 

Thus  they  approached  the  hall  where  held  forth  the 
faithful  in  pursuit  of  the  principles  of  the  Single  Tax 
theory  of  government. 

There  came  a  ray  of  hope  into  her  consciousness.  If 
Caspar  became  interested  in  her  beloved  Henry  George 
society  it  would  prove  to  her  that  there  was  a  mental 
bond  between  them  as  well  as  a  physical  one,  and  that 
she  was  not  a  moth  dazzled  by  the  flame.  Otherwise, 
the  sooner  she  found  this  thing  out  the  better.  She  was 
marrying  to  satisfy  her  natural  instinct  for  motherhood, 
not  for  wifehood.  But  under  these  circumstances  what 
sort  of  children  would  she  have,  to  bear  and  rear  and 
break  her  heart  over? 

All  at  once  there  came  a  revelation  to  her.  A  woman 
who  was  afraid  of  her  husband,  even  though  he,  him- 
self, were  a  good  man  and  a  brave  man,  could  become 
the  mother  of  cowards  and  criminals,  evolved  from  her 
own  dark  moods  and  deceptions.  What  a  blundering 
old  world  not  to  have  taught  that  in  the  beginning! 
That  was  why  ninety-eight  per  cent,  of  criminals  come 
from  respectable  parentage,  she  thought  to  herself. 

If  she  married  Caspar  her  children  would  be  physic- 
ally strong,  but  what  was  that  to  their  being  morally 
healthy?  Her  sons  might  turn  out  bullies  like  Lock- 
wood,  and  her  daughters  be  insubordinate  and  run  away 


DIANTHA'S  GREAT  TEMPTATION  397 

from  home  and  go  the  way  that  unfortunate  Ray  had 
done.  For  she  herself,  a  grown  woman,  had  deterio- 
rated in  fear  of  Caspar's  wrath.  He  had  inspired  her 
with  fear  lest  she  lose  him,  and  she  was  now  meditating 
marrying  him  under  false  pretenses,  that  was  what  it 
came  to  in  the  end. 

John  Quincy  had  had  a  fighting  chance  to  become  a 
man  even  after  he  was  grown  because  his  mother  had 
had  stamina  and  had  stood  out  against  his  father  that 
he  might  have  life.  Even  naughty  little  Tommy  would 
turn  out  all  right  because  Ellen  had  refused  to  be 
afraid.  With  all  that  knowledge  at  her  disposal  surely 
she,  Diantha  March,  the  daughter  of  her  father  and 
mother,  would  not  plunge  into  life-long  misery  to  be- 
come what? 

"  The  mother  of  cowards  and  criminals ! "  she  said 
to  herself. 


CHAPTER  LIV 

FIRST  IT  WAS  KING  GEORGE,  THEN  IT  WAS  HENRY  GEORGE 

'TVHUS  it  was  that  Caspar  and  Diantha  passed  into 
•*•  the  meeting  of  the  Single  Taxers  and  the  first 
person  Diantha  saw  there  was  Everton,  all  alive  and 
keen  as  if  his  first  youth  had  come  back  to  him. 

John  was  there  and  the  girls.  Amid  the  discourse  that 
followed  Caspar  yawned  audibly.  Diantha  tried  in  vain 
to  make  excuses  for  him.  At  one  of  the  brilliant  re- 
marks of  the  chief  speaker,  Everton  glanced  at  her  once 
more  as  he  had  done  at  the  festival  at  Boulder  Camp, 
with  the  eloquence  of  a  complete  understanding.  It 
all  came  to  an  end  at  ten  o'clock,  and  Colleen  invited 
the  three  men  to  go  home  with  them  and  have  some 
peaches  and  cream. 

They  all  made  a  dash  for  the  surface-cars  in  order 
to  enjoy  the  delightful  fresh  air  thus  afforded.  In  the 
scramble  for  places,  Everton  managed  to  get  Diantha 
off  with  himself  from  the  crowd.  She  seemed  pensive. 

"  You  will  never  know  how  sorry  I  am  about  your 
going  away,"  she  said,  "  I  don't  see  how  the  office  can 
spare  you,  especially  now  that  Mr.  Lockwood  is  not  well. 
It  seems  so  strange  about  your  going  —  so  suddenly." 

Everton  gazed  at  her  with  eyes  that  were  positively 
brilliant  with  suppressed  emotion.  There  was  a  fresh- 
ness in  his  cheek,  a  youthful  expectancy  in  his  manner. 


FIRST  KING  GEORGE,  THEN  HENRY  GEORGE      399 

He  seemed  to  be  in  possession  of  some  secret  that  was 
acting  upon  him  like  an  electric  spark.  It  was  not  the 
glamour  of  spring  this  time,  alone,  that  was  animating 
him,  it  was  the  possibility  of  losing  on  the  last  casting 
of  the  die,  the  only  thing  in  the  world  that  had  been 
refused  him.  Denial  had  only  made  him  the  more  de- 
termined. Yet  he  had  made  a  compact  with  himself  at 
this  eleventh  hour  to  leave  all  to  chance.  He  would  not 
be  guilty  of  a  treachery  to  Caspar,  but  if  something 
accidental  should  happen  he  would  not  hesitate  to  grasp 
it  if  thereby  he  could  win  for  himself  the  girl  who  thus 
sat  so  mildly  by  his  side,  unconscious  of  all  these  wild 
emotions  that  were  pulsating  through  his  veins.  It  was 
his  last  hazard. 

He  looked  at  his  watch,  and  said  it  was  quite  likely 
that  he  should  go.  "  I  shall  know  in  one  hour  and  forty 
minutes,"  he  said. 

"  A  telegram,  I  suppose,"  she  murmured. 

He  changed  the  subject  by  saying  he  thought  they 
were  seeing  the  last  of  the  hot  weather.  "  The  fall  of 
the  year  will  soon  be  upon  us,"  he  remarked  medi- 
tatively. 

For  some  reason  Diantha  felt  somber  and  she  began 
quoting  a  favorite  poem,  to  fit  the  subject. 

" '  'Tis  sad  to  see  the  summer  go, 
'Tis  sad  to  lose  of  kith  or  friend, 
And  yet,  'tis  better  ordered  so; 
Tis  best  our  earthly  joys  should  end. 
Though  Summer,  aye,  though  Love  depart, 
They'll  come  again  to  cheer  the  heart  — 
Sans  sadness,  sans  alloy.' " 


400  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

"  Do  you  believe  that  ? "  he  asked  her  sharply. 

She  gave  him  a  flash  from  her  eyes.  "  It  is  good 
philosophy,  at  any  rate/'  she  responded.  "  And  when 
things  get  so  bad  they  can't  be  worse,  that's  all  that's 
left  to  us." 

He  was  roused  to  a  sudden  discontent  that  could  not 
be  concealed.  "  Well,  there  is  nothing  like  being  cheer- 
ful over  the  other  fellow's  miseries,"  he  said,  mockingly. 

Something  happened  to  her  brain. 

"  Well,  what  else  can  I  do  ? "  she  exclaimed  angrily, 
"it's  all  your  fault!" 

She  did  not  know  why  she  had  made  such  a  remark 
as  this  any  more  than  he  did.  She  was  mystified  at 
herself. 

As  they  left  the  car,  and  went  from  Columbus  Avenue 
to  their  own  street,  Caspar  walked  by  her  side. 

"  Let's  talk  about  that  lodge  of  ours,"  he  said,  smil- 
ing. "  I  don't  suppose  we  can  build  it  for  a  while  yet, 
but  we  can  plan  it." 

His  voice  sank  to  a  low  tone  and  he  drew  her  arm 
into  his  and  held  her  hand  tightly  in  his  own.  "  Don't 
you  think  we  could  set  the  date  —  now  —  for  our  mar- 
riage?" 

"  Maybe,"  she  said  musingly,  but  she  was  thinking 
about  Stanley  Everton.  Then  in  anger,  she  roused  her- 
self to  listen  to  what  Caspar  was  saying. 

"  Did  you  like  the  meeting  ?  "  she  asked,  perfunctorily, 
still  wondering  what  had  been  the  matter  with  Mr.  Ever- 
ton, and  why  it  was  that  he  looked  so  brilliant  and 
alive. 


FIRST  KING  GEORGE,  THEN  HENRY  GEORGE     401 

"  Oh,  no,  I  thought  it  a  great  bore,"  said  Caspar,  wear- 
ily. 

"  A  great  bore  ?  "  she  repeated,  waking  up  suddenly, 
and  freeing  her  hand  from  his  clasp,  and  her  arm  from 
his.  "  Why,  Caspar,  you  don't  know  what  you  are  say- 
ing." 

"  Don't  I  though  ?  Well,  I  thought  they  never  would 
get  through  with  their  meddling  with  words ! " 

She  gazed  at  him  in  sudden  fright.  This  was  the 
contingency  of  chance  on  which  she  had  staked  every- 
thing. It  almost  seemed  sinister  for  him  to  be  so 
shameless  about  his  contempt  for  all  these  things  she 
held  so  dear.  Was  there  no  mental  bond  between  them 
after  all?  Was  it  all  physical? 

"  But  if  I  am  to  go  West  with  you,  Caspar,"  she  de- 
manded, "  and  make  a  home  there,  I  firmly  expect  to 
establish  a  Single  Tax  society  and  introduce  these 
principles  in  which  I  believe.  You  may  as  well  under- 
stand it  now  as  any  time,  that  I  will  not  live  without 
my  Henry  George  society ! " 

Diantha  was  pale  and  her  eyes  were  glittering  with 
suppressed  excitement. 

"  What's  the  good  of  it?  "  he  asked,  bluntly. 

She  tried  to  tell  him  in  a  few  words,  but  this  cruel 
stripping  of  the  flesh  from  the  bones  and  demanding 
the  mere  skeleton  of  her  cherished  theory,  left  her  with- 
out eloquence  or  wits. 

"  Oh,  that's  the  dream  of  a  visionary,"  he  replied, 
after  her  explanation  of  the  government  taking  the  land 
to  itself  and  establishing  a  graduated  tax  according  to 


402  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

the  values,  so  that  the  rich  should  pay  their  proper  share 
of  the  taxation,  and  the  burden  fall  less  on  the  poor. 

"  Men  will  be  men,"  he  insisted,  "  and  governments 
are  only  men  after  all.  You  can't  cure  human  nature 
by  taking  refuge  behind  the  government,  any  more  than 
you  can  cure  wolves  of  hunger  by  feeding  them  on  laws. 
There  will  always  be  undue  influence,  and  bribery,  and 
corruption.  Not  even  Christ  can  banish  those  things 
from  the  world,  so  how  can  you  expect  Henry  George 
to  do  it?" 

Diantha  was  all  in  a  tremble  as  she  heard  these 
iconoclastic  words  of  his.  "  Well,"  she  managed  to  say 
at  last,  "  I  am  glad  I  have  found  you  out  in  time."  She 
was  very  white,  but  her  eyes  shone  like  stars. 

He  could  not  understand.  "  First  it  was  King 
George,"  he  said,  "and  now  it  is  Henry  George  that 
has  come  to  make  trouble.  What  has  he  got  to  do  with 
us?" 

"  Everything  — "  she  said  weakly.  But  he  only 
laughed  at  her. 

They  were  at  the  head  of  the  procession,  and  she 
managed  to  open  the  door  when  they  reached  the  house, 
and  slip  in  so  adroitly,  that  she  got  away  from  them 
all  and  went  to  her  own  room  to  hide  herself  from 
sight. 

It  was  a  pleasant  little  moment  for  the  other  girls  and 
they  trooped  in  and  helped  Colleen  to  rush  the  little 
banquet  on  to  the  table.  Everton  was  placed  in  the 
seat  of  honor  by  Gene,  and  John  was  simply  beaming 
with  delight  to  find  himself  between  Showery  and  Anna 


FIRST  KING  GEORGE,  THEN  HENRY  GEORGE     403 

once  more  at  the  happy  board  which  to  him  seemed  the 
quintessence  of  home. 

The  sliced  peaches  were  being  served,  while  Colleen 
went  to  the  ice  chest  for  the  cream.  The  hall  was  dark 
but  there  on  the  coal-box  sat  a  man.  It  was  Caspar, 
solitary  and  alone. 

"Why,  what  is  the  matter?"  she  asked,  compassion- 
ate at  once.  "  You  and  Diantha  haven't  been  having 
another  fuss?  " 

He  seemed  very  suppressed.  "  I'm  afraid  we  have," 
he  said. 

"  Here,  Seddie,  do  take  this  cream  and  put  the  spoons 
on,"  urged  Colleen,  handing  the  supper  over  to  another, 
as  soon  as  she  realized  her  offices  were  required  to 
soothe  some  one  who  was  in  need  of  such  attention. 

"  Tell  me,  what  is  it  all  about,  this  time  ?  "  she  asked, 
yearningly. 

Caspar  arose  and  mopped  his  face,  furiously.  "Did 
you  think  that  was  a  particularly  entertaining  discourse 
we  had  to  listen  to,  to-night  ?  Now  honestly  ? "  he 
demanded. 

"  Well,  of  course,  it  must  have  been  rather  blind  to 
you,  seeing  it  was  the  first  time  you  have  heard  these 
arguments  presented  so  technically,"  said  Colleen  guard- 
edly. "  But  when  you  once  understand  it  all,  it  seems 
to  be  just  what  you  want  to  hear." 

"  Well,  I  don't  think  I'd  like  it  in  a  thousand  years," 
he  protested  with  drawn-down  brows. 

"  Oh,  you  didn't  hurt  Diantha's  feelings  saying  any- 
thing like  that  I  hope,"  exclaimed  Colleen.  Caspar  sat 


404  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

down  on  the  coal-box  and  rumpled  his  hair  all  up  and 
wrestled  with  himself,  generally. 

"  I  suppose  it  wasn't  very  kind  of  me,"  he  admitted, 
finally. 

"Of  course  not,"  said  she,  "  why,  the  sun  rises  and 
sets  with  Henry  George,  to  Diantha  —  he  is  her  re- 
ligion." 

It  was  but  a  moment  until  Colleen  had  brought  her 
influence  to  bear  on  Diantha,  bringing  her  from  her 
room  to  the  hall,  and  telling  her  to  make  up  with  Caspar 
and  not  keep  them  all  in  such  hot  water  all  the  time, 
and  then  like  a  little  mother,  she  returned  to  the  serving 
of  her  supper. 

Diantha  seemed  calm  and  resolute. 

"  Dear  Caspar,"  she  said,  in  a  strange  set  voice,  "  do 
you  know,  I  am  sure  we  shall  always  be  the  best  of 
friends."  She  sat  down  beside  him  on  the  sacred  shrine. 
"  I  shall  always  admire  you  and  perhaps  love  you  in  a 
certain  kind  of  way." 

"  What  are  you  going  to  do  ?  "  he  asked  huskily. 

"  But  it  was  never  meant  that  we  two  should  marry, 
I  am  quite  sure ! " 

"  Oh,  yes,  it  was,"  he  protested. 

She  still  was  so  angry  that  she  kept  saying  things 
that  came  from  that  subconscious  self  of  hers,  without 
knowing  where  she  was  going  to  pull  up,  in  the  least. 

"  It  is  the  strangest  mistake  I  ever  came  across  that 
we  two  should  have  gotten  into  our  heads  that  we  are 
adapted  to  each  other.  You  are  for  all  the  world  just 
like  my  brother,  Dan ;  we  love  each  other  devotedly,  but 


FIRST  KING  GEORGE,  THEN  HENRY  GEORGE     405 

we  fight  all  the  time.    We  are  too  much  alike  ever  to  be 
happy." 

He  tried  to  interrupt  her,  but  she  went  on  mercilessly. 

"  I  am  not  the  one  for  you,  Caspar.  It  is  Colleen 
you  should  marry.  She  is  mild  and  gentle,  even  if  she 
is  brave.  She  is  willing  to  ask  of  her  husband  what 
opinions  he  will  permit  her  to  have.  But  I,  never!  I 
cannot  yield  my  very  soul  and  spirit  to  ask,  '  What  is  it 
you  would  have  your  handmaiden  to  do  at  such  and 
such  an  hour?  Kindly  place  the  heel  of  thy  foot  upon 
thy  handmaiden's  neck ! ' : 

Caspar  arose  and  stood  before  her  covered  with  em- 
barrassment. 

"Diantha!"  he  implored,  "what  have  I  said?" 

"  You  would  rob  me  of  everything  in  life  I  hold  dear," 
she  exclaimed,  "  and  I  realize  that  I  cannot  submit." 

He  knelt  down  in  front  of  her,  and  took  her  hands 
in  his.  "  Sweetheart,  let  us  talk  about  that  lodge  of 
ours  out  in  the  wilderness  away  from  all  this  miserable 
city,"  he  pleaded. 

She  gave  a  great  sigh  as  she  pushed  that  vagrant  lock 
back  from  his  forehead.  What  was  she  doing?  She 
didn't  know.  She  seemed  to  be  acting  from  an  un- 
known, unconscious  sort  of  motive.  She  was  necessary 
to  others  in  this  world.  She  had  a  power  within  her 
for  doing  good,  for  managing  and  planning  for  others. 
It  was  a  delight  to  her.  She  was  not  content  just  to 
reform  herself,  she  wanted  to  bring  aid  to  the  af- 
flicted. 

She  could  understand  the  last  words  of  the  dying 


406  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

philanthropist.  "  I  want  to  get  well,  I  have  a  work  to 
do,  I  want  to  be  a  friend  to  the  friendless,  a  voice  for 
the  voiceless." 

She  knew  what  that  power  was.  Even  crabbed  old 
Mr.  Lockwood  comprehended  that  she  had  that  gift. 
He  wanted  to  entrust  those  children  to  her  care,  he  knew 
they  would  be  safe  in  her  hands.  He  was  willing  to 
trust  her  judgment.  She  did  not  want  to  lead  an  idle 
life  nor  yet  a  mere  domestic  life,  she  wanted  to  reach 
out  and  exert  the  power  she  felt  stirring  within  her. 
Caspar  would  hold  her  in  the  palm  of  his  hand,  she 
should  become  a  prisoner,  the  slave  of  his  affection.  He 
was  her  girlhood's  ideal  but  she  had  outgrown  it.  She 
had  become  too  individualized  by  her  independent  life  to 
go  back  into  such  a  primitive  state  of  existence.  She 
sighed  —  she  had  found  him  just  four  years  too  late. 

She  knew  now  that  that  lodge  of  theirs  was  not  to  be- 
come the  center  from  whence  a  message  of  hope  should 
issue  to  those  round  about  them.  Even  to  preach  in  the 
wilderness  would  satisfy  her.  But  no,  it  was  not  to  be. 

Calmly  she  tried  to  explain.  "  There  is  no  fault  to 
find  with  you,  Caspar,  you  are  just  as  dear  and  sweet 
a  man  as  ever  God  made,  but  I  am  beginning  to  under- 
stand myself  better.  I  thought  I  would  be  content  to 
give  up  everything  for  you,  but  I  find  I  am  not." 

"  But  Diantha,"  he  protested,  "  this  is  a  mere  flash-in- 
the-pan  with  all  those  other  things  we  have  had  to  settle. 
Why,  you  almost  gave  up  your  country  and  I  almost  was 
on  the  point  of  giving  up  my  mother  in  order  to  have 
peace,  surely  we  can  get  over  this  difficulty  some  way, 
too," 


FIRST  KING  GEORGE,  THEN  HENRY  GEORGE     407 

She  went  on  trying  to  explain.  "  You  don't  under- 
stand, Caspar,"  she  said,  resolutely.  "  We  are  like  a 
pair  of  lions  in  the  jungle  all  the  time,  we  never  give  in 
to  the  other  without  an  awful  roaring.  I  once  thought 
I  would  like  this  kind  of  absolute  equality,  but  I  find  I  do 
not.  We  both  stand  side  by  side.  You  do  me  too  much 
honor  to  humor  me  as  one  would  do  with  a  child,  and  yet 
I  believe  that  is  what  I  want  after  all.  I  would  have 
you  more  like  a  patient  parent  with  a  fractious  child, 
more  magnanimous." 

"  Very  well,  I  will  do  as  you  wish,"  said  he,  full  of 
contrition. 

She  looked  him  gravely  in  the  eyes.  "  I  am  going  to 
put  you  to  the  very  last  test,"  she  said.  "  Will  you  let 
me  establish  a  Henry  George  club  in  that  dear  lodge  of 
ours?" 

She  waited  while  he  wrestled  with  himself.  He  pulled 
at  that  lock  of  his  as  if  he  would  tug  it  from  his  scalp. 
And  then  he  groaned.  "  It  is  such  foolishness ! "  he 
cried.  "  Why  not  belong  to  some  church  like  other 
women  do  ?  " 

She  rose  from  her  place  to  her  tallest  height. 

"  Not  for  the  wealth  of  all  the  gold-valleys  of  the 
world,  not  even  for  the  pleasure  and  joy  of  being  by  your 
side  for  the  remainder  of  my  natural  life,  will  I  give  up 
my  beloved  Henry  George  society  nor  the  principles  he 
taught." 

"If  you  care  more  for  Henry  George  than  you  do  for 
me,"  said  Caspar,  huskily,  "  it  is  a  good  thing  for  us  to 
find  it  out  in  time !  " 

She  looked  at  him  yearningly.     But  there  was  that  in 


408  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

her  nature  that  refused  to  be  satisfied  with  being  merely 
the  slave  of  this  man's  affection,  she  told  herself.  She 
knew  she  must  do  for  others  or  die.  It  was  in  her 
nature,  and  she  would  feel  mentally  cramped  in  such 
boundaries  as  these,  exactly  as  Caspar  described  himself, 
physically,  living  in  the  chicken-coops  of  the  flats  and 
tiny  spaces  of  the  city.  It  would  not  be  living. 

"  Yes,"  she  said,  calmly,  "  that  is  just  my  way  of  think- 
ing." 

So  saying  she  left  him  there  and  turned  away  to  the 
front-room  to  gather  her  shattered  self  together,  and  to 
try  to  find  out  who  and  what  she  really  was.  She  would 
be  a  modern  Joan  of  Arc  in  her  small  way,  she  thought  to 
herself.  She  would  never  marry,  but  devote  her  life  to 
the  poor,  and  the  girls  who  needed  her.  She  would  never 
marry,  never  be  a  Thusnelda.  She  went  to  the  front- 
window  by  the  fire-escape  and  looked  out. 

Already  she  felt  as  if  the  habit  of  the  nun  was  begin- 
ning to  enfold  her  apart  from  this  day  forth  from  all 
the  world. 

She  could  hear  the  merry  voices  in  the  dining-room. 
It  was  always  like  that  when  people's  hearts  were 
breaking. 

It  was  indeed  a  pleasant  time  they  were  having  all  to- 
gether over  the  peaches  and  cream.  Gene  made  some 
frivolous  remark  about  the  "  Hall  of  the  Sacred  Coal- 
box  "  and  Colleen  went  to  see  how  the  lovers  were  getting 
on,  preparatory  "to  shooing"  them  in  to  partake  of  the 
supper. 

"  What  is  the  matter  ?  "  asked  Everton  with  gleaming 
eyes, 


FIRST  KING  GEORGE,  THEN  HENRY  GEORGE      409 

"  Oh,  they  are  fighting  as  usual,"  said  Gene,  bluntly. 
"  Between  you  and  me  I  don't  think  they  are  going  '  to 
hit  it  off.'  We  were  talking  to-day,  about  giving  them 
some  blue  china  for  a  wedding-gift,  but  I  believe  we  are 
going  to  save  our  money." 

"Oh,  "Gene,"  reproved  Showery,  "  don't  talk  like 
that!" 

Colleen  came  in  bringing  Caspar,  who  was  blinking 
from  changing  to  the  sudden  glare  of  the  lighted  room 
after  the  dimness  of  the  hall. 

She  piled  his  plate  high  and  put  on  extra  sugar  and 
cream  as  if  by  this  means  to  alleviate  the  miseries  of 
love. 

The  girls  began  to  make  merry  over  some  foolishness 
at  John's  expense,  which  he  took  good-naturedly. 

Everton's  eyes  were  fixed  on  Colleen.  She  gave  him 
a  significant  nod,  and  he  arose  and  made  some  excuse 
to  them  all,  and  went  into  the  front-room. 


CHAPTER  LV 

EVERTON    MERELY   LISTENS 

DIANTHA  was  standing  there  still,  looking  out  at 
the  passing  crowds  below.  She  was  wondering  if 
among  them  all  there  were  some  with  broken  hearts  who 
felt  that  everything  in  life  had  come  to  an  end. 

She  heard  some  one  come  into  the  room  but  did  not 
turn  her  head.  She  could  feel  herself  getting  calm  and 
quiet  all  ready,  even  as  if  relieved  from  a  great  burden. 
She  wondered  to  herself  why  it  was  that  she  was  not  at 
all  unhappy. 

Everton  came  close  to  her  side  and  looked  down  at  the 
crowds  below  also.  It  was  some  time  before  he  spoke. 
Then  he  said,  "  What  was  that  verse  you  recited  to  me, 
something  about  it  being  best  we  lost  our  friends  ?  " 

" '  Tis  best  our  earthly  joys  should  end. 
Though  Summer,  aye,  though  Love  depart, 
They'll  come  again  to  cheer  the  heart, 
Sans  sadness,  sans  alloy.'  " 

she  answered  him. 

"  Very  —  pretty  —  language,"  he  said  quaintly  in  a 
style  quite  of  his  own  that  always  struck  her  poignantly, 
"  and  now  I  want  to  speak  about  something  else." 

She  turned  and  looked  at  him  straight. 

"  What  did  you  mean  when  you  said  '  it  was  my 
410 


EVERTON  MERELY  LISTENS  411 

fault '  ? "    He  put  the  question  to  her  with  a  tensity 
that  gave  additional  force  to  the  words. 

That  she  was  startled  there  was  no  doubt.  "  I  don't 
know  —  exactly,  I  suppose  it  was  because — "  she 
stammered  helplessly.  "  Why  didn't  you  tell  me  that 
before?" 

"  Tell  you  what  before  ?  "  he  asked  puzzled. 

"  That  about,  you  know  —  your  not  really  meaning 
what  —  you  said  last  spring  —  about  —  those  illusions, 
and  that  broken-down  widow  ?  " 

He  met  her  gaze  with  a  half-smile  of  self-commisera- 
tion. "  I  suppose  I  had  to  suffer  first  before  I  could 
humble  myself  to  it,"  he  made  reply. 

"  Oh,"  was  all  she  said  in  return.  Then  she  began 
afresh  but  in  a  most  subdued  manner.  "  It  is  awfully 
hard  to  understand  a  man,  don't  you  think  so?  You 
said  once  they  were  all  alike,  do  you  remember,  but  I 
don't  think  so." 

"No?"  He  was  very  subdued,  too,  but  watchful 
under  it  all. 

"  There  is  such  a  thing  as  being  too  elemental,  don't 
you  think?  A  little  modification  is  an  improvement. 
The  altogether  elemental  man  is  rather  mediaeval  in  his 
ideas  about  a  wife,  and  that  hardly  does  in  the  twentieth 
century."  She  seemed  rather  communing  with  herself 
than  with  another. 

"  I  should  think  not,"  murmured  Everton,  with  his 
hand  creeping  to  his  watch. 

"  Caspar  is  as  sweet  and  clean  a  man  as  God  ever 
made  and  I  shall  always  admire  him  and  love  him  as  I  do 


412  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

my  brother  Dan.  But  a  woman  doesn't  want  to  marry 
a  man  merely  because  she  loves  him,  you  can  love  lots 
of  people  you  wouldn't  dream  of  marrying!  No,  there 
must  be  something  else  besides,  adaptability,  magna- 
nimity, understanding.  I  am  too  fond  of  having  my  own 
way  ever  to  be  happy  with  Caspar." 

"  You  surprise  me/'  Everton  exclaimed,  "  isn't  this 
rather  sudden  ?  " 

"  No/'  she  murmured,  "  I  have  always  known  it  down 
deep  in  my  subconscious  self.  But  I  never  realized  the 
importance  of  it  —  till  this  noon.  This  noon  the  scales 
fell  from  my  eyes,  and  I  saw  him  as  he  really  is,  a  nice, 
dear  fellow,  you  know  —  he  will  always  be  that  —  but 
not  the  king  of  kings  to  me."  She  grew  more  intense 
with  the  thoughts  swelling  up  for  expression. 

"  His  influence  over  me  is  not  at  all  good  —  I  can  see 
myself  degenerating  into  the  mediaeval  woman  to  match 
him,  in  the  years  to  come,  overmastering  his  brute-force 
with  cunning  in  order  to  do  anything  that  seems  to  me 
to  be  nice  and  pleasant  to  do." 

"  Oh,  surely  not  as  bad  as  that ! "  exclaimed  the  man 
by  her  side. 

She  looked  at  the  door  apprehensively,  as  if  some  one 
might  be  within  hearing.  Then  her  voice  fell  to  a  tragic 
whisper. 

"  What  do  you  think  ?  He  has  compelled  me  to  lie  to 
him,  already  —  me !  "  she  repeated  striking  her  breast. 
"  I,  who  hate  a  liar  as  I  do  a  snake  or  a  spider,  have  told 
him  lie  after  lie.  He  keeps  us  all  in  a  state  of  terror  for 
fear  he  will  find  out  the  truth,  for  even  Colleen  has  had 
to  lie  to  him.  He  requires  it!  Why,  I  should  become 


EVERTON  MERELY  LISTENS  413 

the  mother  of  a  breed  of  liars  under  such  a  sway  as  his, 
and  for  what?  Simply  because  I  love  him?  What 
nonsense !  Gene's  book  is  right,"  she  exclaimed  passion- 
ately, "  only  lunatics  marry  for  love.  No  wonder  they 
go  banging  at  the  door  of  the  divorce  court  to  get  back 
their  freedom;  I  know  I  should." 

Everton  was  blinking  with  the  suddenness  of  all  this 
announcement.  He  had  forgotten  all  about  his  watch. 
He  could  hardly  stand  up  against  all  this  tremendous 
force  that  poured  from  Diantha's  outraged  sense  of 
justice. 

"  How  does  all  this  happen,"  he  managed  to  ask  in  the 
lull.  "  I  had  no  idea  of  all  this?  " 

"Of  course  not,"  she  said,  giving  a  great  sigh  of  re- 
lief. "  Neither  did  I  till  to-day,  at  noon  at  our  lunch, 
when  the  whole  thing  flashed  over  me  like  a  revelation. 
You  see,  I  am  afraid  of  him ! " 

"  Surely  not ;  why,  that  is  absurd,"  said  he. 

But  she  persisted.  Her  face  was  chiseled  fine  with 
her  righteous  indignation,  her  bosom  was  heaving  with 
suppressed  excitement,  and  her  heart  was  like  a  bird  re- 
joicing in  finding  freedom. 

"  Well,  we  all  are !  "  she  continued.  "  We  are  afraid 
he  will  decamp  at  a  moment's  notice  if  he  doesn't  like 
things.  And  we  are  so  fond  of  him  that  we  lie  in  order 
to  keep  him  from  flying  off  on  a  tangent,  that's  about  the 
way  of  it.  First  I  had  to  pretend  I  was  the  support  of 
a  large  family  of  brothers  and  sisters,  and  therefore  my 
salary  was  used  up  no  matter  what  I  earned,  and  there- 
fore I  was  as  poor  as  he,  before  he  would  consider  it 
possible  to  like  me.  Oh,  it  is  noble  of  him,  of  course  — " 


414  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

She  took  a  fresh  breath,  "  But  I  had  to  deceive  him  to 
get  him,  and  it  has  been  hellish  to  keep  it  up !  Then  he 
was  not  willing  I  should  keep  my  father's  name,  and  I 
gave  in,  then  he  required  I  should  give  up  my  country, 
and  I  told  him  I  would  if  he  would  give  up  his  mother, 
and  now  he  wants  me  to  give  up  my  beloved  Henry 
George !  What  do  you  think  of  that  ?  " 

"  Impossible,"  was  all  he  could  say. 

"  Oh,  yes,  and  we  have  had  to  invent  an  eccentric  aunt 
for  me  in  Boston  to  explain  why  these  pictures  on  the 
walls  are  mine  —  Oh,  it  must  come  natural  to  women  to 
lie,  we  do  it  so  easily,  we  who  hate  the  necessity  for 
lying.  Oh,  I  am  glad  my  eyes  were  opened  to-day !  " 

Some  one  came  into  the  room.  It  was  Colleen,  mild 
and  gentle  as  ever. 

"  Caspar  is  so  sorry,  Diantha,  that  he  should  have 
spoken  as  he  did,"  she  was  beginning. 

But  Diantha  waved  her  away.  "  No  more,  my  dear 
Colleen,"  she  said,  wearily.  "  I  have  done  with  Caspar. 
I  have  told  him  my  last  lie.  Now,  you  go  and  undeceive 
him  about  that  poor  old  aunt  of  mine  in  Boston,  for  that 
you  know  is  your  lie,  not  mine." 

"  O  Diantha,"  said  Colleen  in  a  fright,  and  turning 
very  pale. 

"  You  did  it  for  me,  dear,"  said  Diantha,  kissing  her 
tenderly,  to  give  her  courage,  "  you  wouldn't  lie  for 
yourself,  we  all  know." 

"  But  he  will  run  away  and  never  come  back  any  — 
more,"  protested  Colleen. 

"  Do  you  hear  that  ? "  asked  Diantha,  significantly. 
"  Do  you  see  how  terrorized  we  all  are  ? " 


EVERTON  MERELY  LISTENS  415 

"  I  never  would  have  believed  it,  if  I  had  not  heard  it 
with  my  own  ears,"  said  Stanley. 

"Let  him  go!"  said  Diantha,  impatiently.  "If  he 
cannot  bear  the  truth.  '  Tis  better  ordered  so.' '; 

A  little  cry  involuntarily  burst  from  Colleen's  lips. 
"  Oh,  but  he  will  be  so  unhappy  —  and  here  all  alone  in 
the  city  with  no  one  —  O  Diantha,  how  can  you  be  so 
cruel?  We  can  give  him  nice  things  to  eat  and  make 
him  comfortable  and  cheer  him  up ! "  And  her  voice 
died  away  while  the  blush  of  consciousness  passed  over 
her  serene  face. 

"  Do  you  hear  that? "  asked  Diantha,  "  She's  got  the 
madness  now  ?  "  She  turned  to  her  friend  and  bade  her 
break  the  news  to  him  as  gently  as  she  liked  but  tell  him 
about  the  fictional  aunt,  she  must  at  once.  Colleen 
squared  herself  for  the  contest,  and  went  back  into  the 
hall. 


CHAPTER  LVI 

"  THE   GREATEST   JOY   IN    THE   WORLD  " 

GENE  and  the  girls  at  the  table  were  amusing  them- 
selves, having  fun  at  the  expense  of  John  Quincy, 
while  Gene  began  to  hint  that  another  "  Sacred  Coal- 
Box  "  would  be  needed  in  that  flat  of  theirs. 

"  It's  just  like  looking  at  the  monkeys  in  their  cages 
at  the  Zoo,"  said  Seddie,  and  she  ventured  to  take  a  peep 
into  the  dimly  lighted  hall,  coming  back  full  of  mystery. 
"  I'm  thinking  we  shall  have  need  of  three  if  things  keep 
on  the  way  they  are  going.  What  do  you  think?  Why 
it  is  Colleen  that  is  sitting  there  with  Caspar ! " 

"  Oh,  my  goodness !  "  cried  Gene.  "  They'll  have  to 
take  her  with  them  to  that  lodge  of  theirs  for  a  peace- 
maker. Isn't  it  awful  to  think  that  lovers  have  to  fight 
so  all  the  time.  Shall  you  and  Anna  begin  pretty  soon, 
John?" 

John  smiled  contentedly.  "  What  for  ? "  he  asked. 
"  Whatever  she  thinks  is  right  will  go  with  me." 

Out  in  the  dim  hall,  Colleen  was  trying  to  select  her 
words  carefully. 

"  Diantha  says  that  there  is  something  I  must  tell  you," 
she  began.  "  I  have  a  confession  to  make  to  you,  and 
I  am  so  scared,  I  don't  know  how  to  do  it." 

Caspar  smiled  at  the  very  idea.  "  Scared  ?  You,  Col- 
leen?" he  exclaimed.  "I  don't  believe  it,  you  are  just 
fooling." 

416 


"THE  GREATEST  JOY  IN  THE  WORLD"        417 

"  I  am  more  scared  of  you  than  I  am  of  all  the  wild 
beasts  in  the  world,"  she  replied  timidly. 

"  Why,  what  are  you  scared  of  ?  "  He  was  laughing 
at  her. 

"  You  had  better  stop  laughing,"  she  said  warningly, 
"  for  you  are  going  to  be  so  mad  in  another  minute  that 
you  are  going  to  run  away  from  us  all  and  never  come 
back  again,  any  more,  not  even  for  your  hat,"  she  added, 
comically,  in  the  midst  of  her  misery. 

"  Oh,  well !  you  can  keep  it  for  a  souvenir,"  he  said 
jocosely. 

"  That's  quite  an  idea,"  said  she,  much  pleased. 
"  Give  me  leave  to  go  and  get  it  now  ?  " 

"  Why,  yes,  of  course ! "  he  still  thought  it  a  great 
joke. 

Colleen  ran  and  took  the  hat  from  the  rack.  She 
looked  around  to  see  that  no  one  was  in  sight,  then  slowly 
lifted  the  soft  felt  to  her  lips  as  if  thereby  she  would 
exorcise  all  evil  spirits  from  the  owner  and  make  him 
more  mild. 

She  went  into  the  parlor,  where  Diantha  and  Stanley 
were  sitting  down  now  and  conversing  earnestly.  "  I've 
got  his  hat,"  she  said,  excitedly,  "  he  gave  me  leave,  be- 
fore I  would  tell  him." 

"  '  Gave  me  leave/  "  repeated  Diantha,  pitifully,  "  Oh, 
poor  Colleen !  " 

Everton  arose  and  went  to  the  door.  "  You  leave 
Caspar  to  me,"  he  said  indulgently,  "  I'll  see  he  doesn't 
run  off,  I'll  make  him  behave  himself." 

When  he  returned  Diantha  was  sitting  looking  at  the 
floor. 


418  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

"They  are  suited  to  each  other  and  that  is  the  main 
thing,"  she  said  abstractedly. 

He  went  and  stood  by  her  side.  "  I  wish  we  were 
suited  to  each  other,"  he  said  gently. 

She  sighed.  "Of  course  it  is  a  great  disappointment 
to  me  to  think  that  Caspar  and  I  are  not  able  to  — " 

"  Not  able  '  to  hit  it  off '  is  what  Miss  Lenore  calls 
it,"  suggested  Stanley,  trying  to  help  her  out. 

"  That  will  do  as  well  as  anything,"  she  said  im- 
passively, "  after  all  this  mortal  combat  and  struggle  of 
will.  For,  of  course,  I  am  of  a  domestic  temperament. 
And  I  had  looked  forward  to  coming  to  anchor  and  find- 
ing a  haven  of  peace." 

"  A  haven  of  peace,"  he  echoed,  "  that  is  what  I  am 
longing  for,  too.  You  and  I  understand  each  other,  we 
can  work  together,  I  love  you,  Diantha,  why  not  marry 
me?" 

"  Oh,  no,  that  is  impossible,"  she  said  with  a  sigh.  "  I 
shall  never  marry  now.  Men  are  too  weird.  Why 
should  I  expect  you  to  be  different  from  the  rest?  " 

She  looked  up  and  met  his  reproachful  glance. 

"  Have  I  not  been  patient  ?  "  he  said.  "  Have  I  not 
let  you  have  your  own  way  for  a  long  time  ?  And  have 
I  not  suffered?" 

She  was  silent. 

"  Besides  we  have  a  lot  to  do  together  and  no  time  to 
waste.  We  want  to  get  to  work  for  those  children,  you 
know,  and  plan  those  schemes  of  yours  for  the  better- 
ment of  the  world.  And  we  must  give  a  little  of  our 
time  to  deciding  whether  we  are  going  to  live  in  the  city 
or  the  country,  and  how  we  are  going  to  help  Caspar 


"  THE  GREATEST  JOY  IN  THE  WORLD  "        419 

without  hurting  his  pride  and  a  thousand  things  that  lie 
near  our  hearts." 

"  You  are  well  named,  '  Everybody's  Friend/ "  she 
said  quietly. 

"  But  what  is  that  if  I  am  going  to  lose  you  ?  O 
Diantha,  I  cannot  endure  any  more.  I  have  been  trying 
to  make  myself  over,  to  be  more  worthy  of  you  in  all 
your  goodness  and  womanly  charm.  I  want  a  woman 
like  you  by  my  side  to  work  for  and  to  love  for  the  rest 
of  my  life." 

He  knelt  down  before  her  and  took  her  hand  in  his. 

She  looked  at  him  piteously.  "  O  Stanley,  if  you  had 
a  wife,  you  wouldn't  be  mean  and  cross  to  her,  would 
you,  ever?  If  only  you  would  let  her  love  you,  if  only 
you  would  try  to  be  —  the  man  of  her  heart  —  be  more 
generous  to  her  than  to  all  the  rest  of  the  world!  You 
wouldn't  thwart  her  in  every  innocent  little  thing  she 
wanted  to  do.  Promise  me  that  you  would  let  her 
be  free  —  for  the  sake  of  — "  The  tears  were  raining 
down  her  cheeks  and  she  gave  way  to  her  emotions 
without  restraint. 

Stanley  drew  her  head  to  his  shoulder.  "  I  know  — 
I  understand,"  he  said  in  a  low  voice,  "  for  the  sake  of 
that  little  son  and  that  little  daughter  that  will  be  coming 
to  dwell  with  me,  I  should  let  my  wife  be  free!  And  I 
shall  also  keep  on  trying  to  be  worthy  of  them  as  well  as 
of  you,  especially  of  that  little  daughter,  for  I  want  to 
be  to  her  what  your  father  was  to  you.  To  me,  that 
would  be  the  greatest  joy.  in  the  world." 


CHAPTER  LVII 

CASPAR   NOT   ELEMENTAL,   ONLY   A    NATURAL   MAN 

THERE  was  a  sound  of  confusion  in  the  hall  and 
peals  of  laughter  came  with  it.  Presently  there 
was  the  sound  as  of  some  one  falling  heavily  upon  the 
floor. 

"  Look  at  your  watch/'  exclaimed  Diantha,  "  is  it 
twelve?" 

He  spoke  impulsively.  "  I  will  be  perfectly  frank  with 
you,  dearest,  we'll  have  no  lies  between  us  ever,  but  I 
don't  want  to  look  at  my  watch !  I  have  made  you  set 
the  date  for  our  marriage  by  saying  that  I  would  leave 
at  twelve  and  not  come  back  if  you  didn't  but  I  am  quite 
sure  it  is  already  past  twelve.  You  shall  see  that  there 
shall  be  nothing  but  the  truth  between  us  two,  always. 
And  now  I  must  go  and  help  poor  Colleen." 

"  Just  a  second,'*  entreated  Diantha,  "  one  word  more, 
I  know  that  by  marrying  a  native  of  this  country  that 
I  shall  become  a  citizen,  but  I  am  not  satisfied,  I  shall  go 
to-morrow  and  take  out  naturalization  papers  myself  so 
that  nothing  shall  stand  between  us,  not  even  my 
country ! " 

"  My  dear !  my  dear !  "  he  said  brokenly,  "  but  never 
mind,  we'll  go  and  visit  Canada,  every  summer,  together, 
and  your  people  shall  be  my  people,  to  make  it  up  to 

420 


CASPAR  ONLY  A  NATURAL  MAN  421 

you!  I  must  go  and  see  what  is  the  matter  with  those 
children  out  there,  isn't  it  fearful  the  way  they  are  carry- 
ing on?  You  need  some  parents  around  here  pretty 
badly." 

As  he  left  her  there  to  herself  there  came  over  her 
something  of  the  calm  and  sanctity  of  marriage  as  if  like 
another  Undine,  all  the  devils  had  been  cast  out  of  her. 
With  the  union  of  their  minds  and  the  union  of  their 
souls,  it  seemed  as  if  already  the  marriage  had  been  con- 
summated without  need  of  the  "  Man  of  God  "  or  the 
"  Man  of  the  Law  "  to  set  upon  it  the  seal  of  public  sanc- 
tion. She  comprehended  then  something  of  the  awful 
mystery  of  marriage,  its  tragedy  when  the  twain  were  not 
mated,  and  the  infinite  peace  of  it  when  they  were.  It 
came  to  her  as  in  a  flash  of  light  that  the  ceremony  of 
marriage  was  instituted  by  man  himself  in  all  kindness  for 
the  protection  of  the  woman  and  the  child,  and  necessary 
for  the  well-being  of  the  family  as  long  as  that  peace 
should  endure.  But  without  that  peace  it  would  be  a 
more  horrible  hell  than  any  conception  of  the  Dark  Ages 
to  the  ones  caught  in  its  thrall.  And  that  there  must  be 
the  mating  in  the  eyes  of  God  as  well  as  the  marriage 
in  the  eyes  of  man  to  make  it  a  true  union. 

As  Everton  appeared  at  the  door  there  was  a  cry  going 
up  from  the  girls.  "  Hold  him !  John,  hold  him !  "  came 
from  a  chorus  of  voices. 

The  revelation  which  had  been  made  to  Caspar  by 
Colleen,  that  she  herself  had  invented  the  rich  old  aunt 
in  Boston  to  help  Diantha  conceal  the  fact  of  her  having 
some  money  of  her  own,  had  aroused  his  deepest  scorn. 


422  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

In  spite  of  Colleen's  entreaties  for  him  to  forgive 
Diantha,  he  had  refused  utterly  to  remain  a  moment 
longer  or  ever  to  see  her  again. 

"  To  be  deceived  once  is  enough  for  me,"  he  had  said 
grimly. 

But  Colleen,  relying  on  Everton's  promise  "to  make 
Caspar  behave,"  had  stationed  John  and  the  girls  in  the 
hall  urging  upon  them  not  to  let  him  escape  until  he  had 
forgiven  her  and  Diantha  for  the  lies  they  had  been 
compelled  to  tell  him. 

There  they  were  all  waiting,  determined  on  that  point 
as  he  strode  for  the  door,  and  so  in  a  moment  there 
was  a  struggle  and  a  battle  for  the  mastery  such  as 
only  the  very  young  and  irresponsible  ever  indulge  in. 
Caspar  had  pushed  them  all  out  of  the  way  when  John 
fell  down  upon  the  floor  and  seized  hold  of  his  legs 
to  hold  him  by  main  force,  while  the  girls  joined  in 
afresh  closing  in  around  him  to  bar  the  way  and  en- 
treating him  to  forgive  Diantha. 

During  the  struggle  of  the  young  giants,  Showery 
being  the  least  to  blame  had  been  stepped  on,  and  was 
now  sitting  on  the  floor  weaving  backwards  and  for- 
wards over  her  crushed  foot,  laughing  and  crying  to- 
gether at  the  outrageousness  of  it  all. 

Altogether  it  was  a  scene  not  to  be  expected  in  Pleiades 
Court,  top  flat. 

"What  is  the  trouble?"  asked  Everton  mildly. 

After  explanations  Colleen  added,  "  He  says  he  will 
never  come  back  again,"  and  she  began  to  weep. 

"  I  have  been  deceived,"  exclaimed  Caspar,  sternly  — 


CASPAR  ONLY  A  NATURAL  MAN  423 

"  I  have  no  wish  to  associate  with  people  who  tell  me 
lies." 

"  Easy,  easy,  Caspar,"  interposed,  Everton,  "  you  know 
we  men  have  to  overlook  little  things  like  that  in  the 
women-folks  when  they  do  it  only  out  of  kindness  of 
heart  and  with  the  best  intentions.  Sometimes  we  make 
it  hard  for  them  to  tell  the  truth  and  then  it  is  our  own 
fault.  Miss  March  is  waiting  for  you,  she  has  an  ex- 
planation to  make  —  and  Caspar,"  he  added  more  firmly, 
"  try  to  control  your  temper,  she  is  feeling  sorry  enough 
as  it  is." 

While  Everton  was  assuring  Colleen  that  everything 
would  come  out  all  right,  Caspar  walked  into  the  room 
where  Diantha  was  awaiting  him. 

She  stood  up  and  looked  at  him  in  an  impersonal  way. 
It  was  nothing*  more  to  her  that  his  eyes  were  blue,  nor 
that  the  vagrant  lock  was  hanging  down  upon  his  fore- 
head. With  that  peculiar  quality  that  goes  with  poten- 
tial motherhood,  it  was  because  he  had  been  hers, 
because  he  had  been  her  possession  absolutely,  that  she 
had  conceived  such  an  almost-fierce  fondness  for  him. 

Possession  is  nine  points  in  love  as  well  as  in  law. 

Now  everything  was  all  changed.  He  no  longer  be- 
longed to  her,  she  had  detached  herself  from  him,  and 
had  transferred  herself,  just  as  absolutely. 

"  Is  it  true,"  began  Caspar,  "  or  is  it  not  true,  that  you 
have  an  aunt  in  Boston,  that  she  is  the  source  of  all  your 
gifts?" 

Diantha  did  not  hesitate  a  moment.  She  had  made 
up  her  mind  what  to  do. 


424  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

"  I  do  not  ask  you  to  forgive  me,  Caspar,"  she  said, 
"  for  it  is  the  truth  that  I  have  been  deceiving  you  all 
this  time.  There  never  was  such  an  aunt,  she  is  merely 
a  fiction.  I  have  nobody  dependent  on  me,  and  I  have 
about  eight  thousand  dollars  all  in  my  own  name  that  I 
have  earned  and  added  to  by  investments.  I  am  awfully 
sorry  to  think  I  should  have  had  to  tell  you  a  lie  like  that, 
but  you  made  it  necessary.  For  you  know  you  told  me 
you  would  tear  me  out  of  your  heart,  forever,  if  ever  I 
deceived  you ;  and  you  know  it  is  against  your  principles 
to  marry  a  girl  who  has  more  money  than  you  have." 

"  That  is  quite  true,"  said  Caspar,  hoarsely,  fairly  rigid 
with  rage  at  these  cold-blooded  revelations. 

"  But  that  is  no  reason  why  we  should  not  part  friends, 
is  it,  Caspar  ?  "  asked  Diantha,  extending  her  hand,  "  for 
to-day,  noon,  I  found  out  that  I  had  made  a  mistake. 
Last  spring,  Mr.  Everton  asked  me  to  marry  him,  but  I 
preferred  to  go  to  Boulder  Camp  and  find  an  elemental 
man  instead.  Mr.  Everton  bet  me  a  thousand  dollars 
I  couldn't  find  one  and  if  I  couldn't  I  was  to  come  back 
and  marry  him.  And  all  this  time  I  have  been  deceiving 
myself  —  for  to-day,  noon,  I  discovered  that  it  was  he 
I  cared  for,  all  the  time.  And  I  have  decided  to  marry 
Mr.  Everton,  four  weeks  from  Wednesday." 

Caspar  drew  away  from  the  proffered  hand  she  held 
out  to  him,  and  viewed  her  with  horror. 

"  I  am  sure,"  she  went  on,  "  that  you  will  find  some 
girl  far  more  suitable  than  I  who  will  make  you  happy. 
And  you  deserve  it ;  for  I  still  maintain,  and  always  shall, 
that  you  are  one  of  the  sweetest  and  cleanest  men  God 
ever  made.  But  you  are  also  as  stubborn  as  a  mule  and 


CASPAR  ONLY  A  NATURAL  MAN  425 

as  fierce  as  a  lion.  And  as  I  am  the  same  way,  I  know 
we  are  not  suited  to  each  other,  and  that  it  is  a  great 
mercy  we  have  found  it  out  before  it  is  too  late." 

Caspar  regained  utterance  finally.  "  And  Mr.  Ever- 
ton  —  knew  about  it  —  all  the  time?  He  stood  at  the 
foot  of  the  peak  when  I  was  asking  you  to  marry  me? 
He  saved  you  from  going  over  the  cliff,  for  me?  He 
brought  me  East  and  gave  me  opportunities  to  better 
myself,  all  for  your  sake?  He  could  do  all  that  and  en- 
dure all  that  ?  God !  How  he  must  have  suffered !  And 
you  delighted  in  torturing  him,  a  man  like  that !  Over  my 
shoulders  ?  "  Caspar's  voice  rang  out  scornfully.  "  Oh, 
it  takes  a  woman  to  indulge  in  the  refinements  of  bru- 
tality! You've  treated  him  far  worse  than  you've  even 
treated  me.  He  may  forgive  you  for  it,  but  I  never 
will,  making  me  into  a  cat's-paw  for  the  furtherance  of 
your  Jezebel  arts  and  coquetries." 

Diantha  had  prayed  for  a  Parsifal,  pure  and  undefined, 
and  she  had  found  him.  However,  she  no  more  than 
any  other  woman,  had  been  prepared  to  discover  in  him 
a  dangerous  being  to  rouse,  one  who  was  stern  and  im- 
placable, which  is  the  compensation  and  penalty  of  purity 
in  a  man.  For  without  these  resistant  qualities  how  shall 
a  man  maintain  his  crystallineness  of  heart?  She  had 
found  him,  but  he  was  too  great  and  splendid  for  her,  and 
like  the  most  of  women,  when  it  came  to  the  test,  she  dis- 
covered that  she  preferred  the  one  who  was  not  a 
Parsifal,  who  even  had  a  past,  or  maybe  because  of  it, 
was  more  gracious,  more  easy-going,  who  had  more  arts, 
more  finesse,  more  gallantries  and  indulgences  for  her 
sex. 


426  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

Even  in  spite  of  her  natural  courage,  Caspar 
awakened  her  fear  and  she  shrank  from  him  when  she 
saw  the  havoc  she  had  made  with  that  faithful  heart  that 
had  never  loved  before.  She  was  afraid  of  him  and 
what  he  might  do  in  his  rage  and  scorn  at  her ;  for  there 
was  a  glitter  in  his  eyes  as  if  he  would  do  murder.  His 
breath  came  fast  as  he  gazed  at  her,  with  the  elemental 
passions  of  jealousy  and  outraged  love,  and  desire  for 
vengeance  sweeping  over  him.  Another  moment  and 
she  might  lie  in  his  arms  crushed  to  a  shapeless  heap. 

In  that  terrible  moment  he  was  meditating  how  he 
could  kill  her  and  Everton  and  then  himself.  They  had 
played  him  false  and  they  deserved  to  die.  His  face  was 
drawn  and  white.  Some  one  was  venturing  to  pluck  at 
his  sleeve  and  calling  him  by  name,  but  he  scarcely  heard. 

"  Why,  Caspar/'  repeated  the  voice  of  Colleen,  "  don't 
look  like  that !  Surely  you  are  not  going  to  fly  into  such 
a  passion  over  that  poor  old  aunt  I  made  up  just  to  help 
poor  Diantha  out  ?  " 

Caspar  drew  his  hand  across  his  eyes  like  one  awaken- 
ing from  a  dream  and  came  to  his  senses  slowly.  He 
looked  down  at  Colleen,  finally,  and  said,  "  It  seems  — 
that  Diantha  —  is  going  to  marry  —  Mr.  Everton  — 
four  weeks  from  Wednesday." 

"  What  ? "  exclaimed  Colleen,  "  why,  she  must  be 
mad ! "  Caspar  smiled  terribly. 

"  I  am  ashamed  of  her,"  Colleen  went  on  recklessly, 
"  no  wonder  you  look  like  that." 

The  tension  let  go,  his  face  relaxed.  "  She  isn't  worth 
it,"  he  said,  finally,  taking  a  full  breath,  "  I'll  get  over  it." 

"  Oh,  yes,  she  is  worth  it,"  protested  Colleen  loyally. 


CASPAR  ONLY  A  NATURAL  MAN  427 

"  Diantha  is  a  fine  splendid  girl  and  I  understand  her 
perfectly.  She  is  going  to  marry  Stanley  Ever  ton  for 
peace  of  mind.  Caspar,  you  know  you  nearly  drove  her 
wild!" 

His  fierce  mood  was  passing  as  he  tried  to  comprehend, 
for  Colleen's  accents  had  a  soothing  effect  upon  him. 
"  You  know,  Caspar,"  she  exclaimed,  trying  to  make  him 
think  of  something  else  than  Diantha,  "  you  are  —  so  — 
outrageously  elemental !  " 

"  No,  I  am  not,"  he  said  hoarsely,  "  if  I  were  I  would 
kill  her  and  Everton,  and  hurl  myself  from  a  rock  into 
the  sea,  but  I  don't.  I  let  her  live !  "  And  he  tried  to 
smile  but  there  was  a  quiver  on  his  lips  and  there  were 
tears  in  his  eyes  so  darkly  blue.  "  I  am  not  elemental 
at  all  —  I  am  only  a  natural  man." 

He  turned  to  go  and  she  spoke  gently,  "  Caspar,  you 
must  stop  and  speak  to  Mr.  Everton  a  moment,  he  is 
your  friend." 

He  steadied  himself  and  took  a  breath  and  said,  "  Yes, 
Mr.  Everton  is  a  man  to  admire  and  he  is  too  good  for 
—  her !  "  Then  he  passed  from  the  room  as  a  wounded 
creature  that  would  fain  hide  itself  from  every  eye  in 
the  depths  of  the  forest. 


CHAPTER  LVIII 

DIANTHA    KISSES   THE   HAND   OF    HER    MASTER 

THE  girls  came  in  hushed  and  pale  at  sight  of 
Caspar's  white  set  face,  leaving  him  and  Everton 
together.  What  they  said  no  one  knew,  but  that  they 
fell  back  on  their  friendship,  as  man  to  man,  there  was 
no  doubt ;  for  they  seemed  to  come  to  an  understanding. 

Diantha  was  pale,  too.  She  tried  to  thank  Colleen  for 
her  kindness  to  Caspar.  "  He  needs  somebody  to  be  kind 
to  him,"  she  said  brokenly.  "  And  you,  Colleen,  you  al- 
ready love  him." 

"  Yes,"  said  Colleen  with  drooping  head,  "  I  must  have 
been  fond  of  him  from  the  first,  but  I  did  not  know  for 
certain  till  to-day  —  at  noon." 

"  Yes,  we  all  had  an  awakening  to-day,"  said  Diantha. 

Gene  came  and  kissed  her  and  whispered  a  word  of 
congratulation.  Showery  said  she  thought  love  must 
be  a  terrible  thing  when  it  caused  such  suffering.  In 
contrast  stood  John  and  Anna,  hand-in-hand,  like  two 
happy  children  who  could  not  understand  pain  or  sor- 
row. 

When  Stanley  returned  to  tell  Diantha  that  he  had 
made  his  peace  with  Caspar  and  that  he  was  going  to 
make  him  the  manager  of  the  new  plant  out  at  Boulder 
Camp,  and  look  out  for  his  future,  Diantha  gave  way  to 

428 


DIANTHA  KISSES  THE  HAND  OF  HER  MASTER     429 

an  impulsive  emotion  aroused  by  commingled  gratitude 
and  admiration. 

In  her  humility  and  in  her  contrition  for  all  the  suffer- 
ing she  had  caused  him,  she  bent  her  head  quickly  and 
before  he  could  prevent  her,  she  had  kissed  him  on  the 
hand. 

Thus  had  she  sometimes  done  in  her  childhood  with 
her  father  in  earnest  of  her  desire  for  his  forgiveness. 
She  did  not  wear  a  yashmak  and  yet  she  kissed  the  hand 
of  her  master.  She  was  filled  with  child-like  content  to 
find  that  he  did  not  dwell  on  some  far-off  pinnacle  of 
resistance  to  her  every  wish  and  thought,  but  came  down 
to  her,  as  a  loving  parent  to  a  child,  putting  her  happiness 
before  his  own,  out  of  the  desire  of  his  heart  to  see  her  at 
peace  and  rest. 

She  remembered,  too,  that  she  had  caused  him  pain 
and  suffering,  which  she  had  not  known  until  Caspar 
had  revealed  it  to  her.  She  had  not  meant  to  do  it. 
She  was  sorry. 

As  she  took  his  hand  between  her  two,  and  laid  it 
against  her  cheek  in  abandonment  to  the  emotion  that 
swayed  her,  while  the  tears  rained  upon  it  as  if  in  ex- 
piation, Everton  was  trembling.  He  felt  his  heart  beat 
in  a  great  throb  as  a  sense  of  unworthiness  shattered 
him  to  the  center  of  his  being.  He  was  overwhelmed  at 
this  child-like  manifestation  of  her  love,  and  symbol  of 
her  dependence  upon  him  for  the  days  coming. 

"  Don't,  dearest ! "  he  entreated  brokenly,  yet  he  at- 
tempted to  smile,  as  a  strong  man  should  whatever  be- 
fall, "  I  cannot  bear  it  —  I  am  so  —  unworthy  — "  and 


430  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

he  took  her  hands  in  his  own  and  kissed  them  both 
gently. 

Diantha  looked  into  his  blue  eyes  through  the  mists 
of  contrition  and  replied,  "  No  —  you  are  magnanimous 
and  good.  Even  Caspar  —  says  you  are  a  man  to  ad- 
mire." 


AFTERWORD 

And  what  then  ?  Were  they  happy  ever  after  ?  They 
were.  Did  Caspar  marry  Colleen  ?  Yes.  And  did  Cas- 
par and  Diantha  ever  meet  again?  Once.  It  was  at  a 
reception  of  the  Henry  Georgeites  who  were  celebrating 
a  victory  in  having  at  last  gotten  a  bill  through  by  which 
in  New  York,  the  land-values  and  property-values  were 
to  be  henceforth  taxed  separately,  and  the  Single-Taxers 
were  very  happy.  Diantha  had  just  returned  from 
Europe,  Colleen  was  fresh  from  California. 

They  fell  into  each  other's  arms  with  joy.  And  then 
upon  the  scene  came  a  man  who  seemed  to  begrudge 
them  to  each  other.  It  was  Caspar  with  a  little  girl  by 
the  hand,  while  on  his  arm  he  carried  a  small  baby  in 
long  clothes.  He  was  unashamed  and  unabashed, 
bearded  once  more,  and  full  of  his  old-time  domination. 
He  had  grown  tired  of  waiting  at  the  hotel  for  Colleen 
and  had  come  to  find  her,  and  announced  she  had  been 
there  long  enough. 

Thus  it  was  they  met.  As  water  will  wear  away  the 
stone,  so  Colleen  had  smoothed  away  some  of  his 
brusqueness,  but  not  all.  He  was  so  absorbed  in  his  own 
children  he  forgot  to  ask  about  those  of  any  one  else. 
His  bright  smile  flashed  up  as  of  yore,  nevertheless 
Colleen  followed  him  meekly  when  he  gave  his  quick 
nod  of  farewell  and  strode  for  the  door. 

And  Diantha  turned  swiftly  and  flew  to  the  waiting- 

431 


432  THE  FULL  GLORY  OF  DIANTHA 

room  where  an  elderly  sister  stood,  holding  by  the  hand 
a  beautiful,  sturdy  little  boy.  She  fell  upon  her  knees 
before  him,  holding  out  her  arms. 

"  Come  to  mother,"  she  said.  And  with  the  light  of 
understanding  in  his  eyes,  as  if  he  knew  all  her  moods, 
he  came  to  her  indulgently,  as  it  were,  and  put  his  arms 
about  her  neck. 

"  It  was  for  your  sake,  my  little  Stanley,"  she  said, 
fervently,  full  of  the  glory  of  her  motherhood.  "  Thank 
God!" 


THE  END 


